Complications
The most severe complication of ulcerative colitis is toxic megacolon. It is a condition in which the colon paralyzes, preventing any passage of gas or material; symptoms include fever, sweat and weakness. If the condition is not treated the colon can relax to the point of breaking, an eventuality, this, rather dangerous for the survival of the individual.
Patients with ulcerative colitis have an increased risk of developing colon cancer; nevertheless more than 90% of them will not go against the disease during their lifetime. The risk is greater for those patients whose inflammation is extended to the whole colon and lasts at least from eight to ten years; under similar conditions it is recommended to perform a colonoscopic examination every 12-24 months.
Treatment
To learn more: Medicines for the treatment of Ulcerative Colitis »
The treatment, initially pharmacological, uses painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, which prevent complications in the acute phase and help the patient to keep the symptoms under control in the chronic phase.
In cases that do not respond to medical therapies, or in the presence of neoplasms, partial or total surgical resection of the colon is used.
To learn more: Colon resection - Colectomy »
Diet and Ulcerative Colitis
To learn more: Diet and Ulcerative Colitis »
At present there is no definite evidence on the link between consumption of certain foods and the onset of ulcerative colitis. In this regard, numerous theories have been proposed, but none has ever been confirmed and universally accepted. One of the first, to mention just a few examples, identified milk as the triggering element, especially for those who are allergic or intolerant to lactose. Even chemical food additives have long been investigated, without however obtaining confirmation of the initial suspicions.
Currently it is believed that a diet rich in calories, fats and sugars, but at the same time poor in fiber, although not representing a certain etiological agent, may in some way favor the onset of the disease. To confirm this, the incidence of ulcerative colitis is clearly higher in the United States and in England than in Asian and African countries, which points to the existence of a link between a typically Western food style and disease.
There are also certain foods that can aggravate the symptoms, especially during acute inflammatory episodes. Dairy products, for example, can amplify intestinal disorders, especially if the patient is lactose intolerant. In the same way, too abundant meals and an excessive consumption of fibers could accentuate the abdominal swelling and the disorders of the alvus. Finally, stress should be kept under control, as the continuous succession of stressful stimuli increases gastric acidity, interferes with normal intestinal transit and facilitates the flare-up of ulcerative colitis.
Diet and ulcerative colitis, some advice
- Abolish spices, spicy foods (pepper, chilli, curry, nutmeg), alcoholic beverages, carbonated beverages, tea (admitted the detained one), coffee (the decaffeinated one is allowed) and chocolate.
- Reduce or even eliminate milk consumption; on the other hand, moderate amounts of yogurt and dairy products are tolerated (with the exception of spicy cheeses). The consumption of probiotic foods may be useful, but it will have to be evaluated by the doctor.
- Reduce the presence of meteorizing foods, such as legumes, in one's diet.
- Also moderate fiber consumption, preferring refined foods to whole foods.
- Avoid fiber supplements and do not overdo the consumption of fruit (which must be peeled) and vegetables (which can be centrifuged, but not blended to keep meteorism in check).
- Increase the consumption of fish and flaxseed, while reducing the consumption of nuts and seed oils. In this way we will rebalance the relationship between omega-six and omega-three in our diet, taking full advantage of the latter's beneficial anti-inflammatory action.
- In the presence of steatorrhea (excessive amount of fat in the faeces), it is possible to use supplements of medium and short chain fatty acids (for example MCT oils), which are absorbed directly by the intestinal mucosa without undergoing any digestive process.
