Ulcerative colitis, what it is and how to treat it
There are many health problems that can be boy. In some cases of easy solution as in the case of constipated or migraine headaches, in others we must pay special attention and attend to the symptoms of these discomforts in case we are facing a more serious situation than we thought.
A good example is the ulcerative colitis, a disease that although rare, requires the attention of adults either to rule it out and evaluate another possibility, or to initiate the corresponding treatment and supervision. This condition is chronic, which means that your symptoms they persist throughout life. However, a quick diagnosis helps make your symptoms less aggressive.
What is ulcerative colitis
The Spanish Association of Pediatrics, AEP, defines the ulcerative colitis as a disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the large intestine. This constant irritation ends up causing ulcers inside this organ, especially to the rectum area. However, specialists remember that all parties can be affected by this problem.
Pediatricians explain that although ulcerative colitis is more common in adults than in children, more and more cases are being recorded in children. Today in Spain a 30% of these cases occur in children under 20, a reason why specialists ask parents to be very attentive to possible symptoms:
-Diarrhea with liquid stools full of mucus, blood, or both.
- Acute abdominal pain.
- Abnormal effort when expelling stools.
-Fever.
-Excessive fatigue without previous physical activity.
-Large weight loss.
Pediatricians express that one of the characteristics of these symptoms is that they usually appear every so often. In this way ulcerative colitis has outbreaks that make the child suffer all these problems and other periods where the health of the child is completely normal.
How to diagnose and treat ulcerative colitis
Given the chronic nature of this disease and the hardness of symptoms in children, it is evident the need to go to a specialist to confirm or rule out ulcerative colitis. To diagnose this condition, the doctor will resort to tests such as blood tests, stool tests, abdominal ultrasound and endoscopy.
As for his treatment, there is no cure for this disease. The mission of this procedure will be fundamentally relieve symptoms and try not to appear again, in addition to ensuring that children grow and develop properly.
The treatment will depend on each patient. The most commonly used drugs include aminosalicylates, compounds similar to aspirin, and corticosteroids, which work by decreasing inflammation. Immunosuppressive drugs can also be used that block the harmful and abnormal activity of the immune system, the body's defensive system, against the intestine.
Since the most affected part of the large intestine is usually the rectum, in most cases a topical treatment by drugs administered in the form of enemas or suppositories, associated with the general treatment (syrups, pills, etc.).
Damián Montero
