The symptoms associated with ulcerative colitis vary from person to person, depending on the severity of inflammation and where it occurs. Some of the common symptoms include:
Abdominal pain
Periodic diarrhea
Loosened stool
Loss of appetite
Other symptoms may include:
Fever
Weight loss
Anemia
Nausea
Rectal bleeding
Loss of body fluids and nutrients
The underlying cause of UC symptoms may be damaging inflammation.
As inflammation affects the large intestine, symptoms may recur. After a period of remission of months or even years, you could experience what’s commonly known as a flare.
4 types of ulcerative colitis and their associated symptoms.
Ulcerative Proctitis
Proctosigmoiditis
Left-Sided Colitis
Pan-Ulcerative Colitis
Complications involving the intestinal tract, referred to as local, may occur in UC. They also may involve other organs in the body. These complications are known as systemic complications.
While not everyone with UC will experience these complications, some intestinal complications occur in both UC and Crohn’s disease. These “local” complications tend to occur when there is intestinal inflammation:
Is severe and widespread
Extends beyond the inner lining of the intestines
Repeats over a period of time
Some of the local complications of UC include perforation of the bowel, fulminant colitis, and rare occurrence of toxic megacolon.
Keep a diet diary to help pinpoint troublesome foods