What is Ulcerative Colitis?

Posted Fri, 11/06/2009 - 21:26 by andrew

Ulcerative colitis is a disease that causes chronic inflammation and ulcers in the lining of the large intestine. The inflammation usually occurs in the rectum and the lower part of the colon, but it may affect the entire colon. The colon is an integral part of the digestive system where waste material is stored. Due to the inflammation and ulcers in the inner lining of the colon, it causes the colon to empty more often and leads to symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea and rectal bleeding. Ulcerative colitis is frequently referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and affects approximately 500,000 to 2 million people in the United States. The disease affects men and women equally and appears to run in the family. It commonly begins between ages 15 and 30, or less commonly between 50 and 70.