Table of contents:
- What is pancolitis?
- What are the signs and symptoms of pancolitis?
- What causes colitis?
- How to treat pancolitis?
Inflammation of the intestine is often associated with appendicitis or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, when inflammation specifically affects only the large intestine, the condition is known as pancolitis. To know more about pancolitis, let's look at the discussion below.
What is pancolitis?
Pancolitis is inflammation of the entire lining of the large intestine. Pancolitis is a chronic inflammation, which can cause ulcers to form in the intestines or even make the intestines hurt.
What are the signs and symptoms of pancolitis?
- Abdominal pain and cramps
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Anal bleeding
- Muscle cramps / spasms
- Fever and fatigue
- Reduced appetite
- Weight loss
Over time, inflammation of the lining of the intestines causes sores. The intestinal wall then loses the ability to process food, waste food to be disposed of, and absorb water. This causes diarrhea. Small sores that develop in the intestines then cause you to experience stomach pain and bloody stools.
Decreased appetite, fatigue, and weight loss can eventually lead to anorexia.
Other symptoms can also be affected by inflammation of the colon, including joint pain (usually in the knees, ankles, and wrists). Do not rule out the symptoms of pancolitis can also affect the eyes.
If not treated properly, inflammation of the colon can lead to fatal complications such as severe bleeding, intestinal perforation (perforation of the intestine), hypertrophic intestine (intestinal stretching), to inflammation of the lining of the stomach. Pancolitis also puts you at a higher risk for colon cancer.
What causes colitis?
Quoted from Healthline, pancolitis has no definite cause. The most common cause of inflammation of the colon is ulcerative colitis, but it can also be caused by C. difficile infection. In addition, this condition is often associated with common inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.
The following things can also trigger colitis or make the symptoms worse, namely:
- Weak immune system
- Heredity, people with family members who have this condition often have inflammatory bowel disease.
- Most eat foods high in protein, such as meat and fish. This can lead to cell poisoning and injury to the intestines.
- Age. Usually, pancolitis is often diagnosed in people under 35 years of age, but it can happen to anyone.
- Gender affects a person's risk of developing colitis. Ulcerative colitis or pancolitis is more common in men, while Crohn's disease is more common in women.
- Smoke. Smokers are at a higher risk of developing colitis than nonsmokers and ex-smokers.
How to treat pancolitis?
Inflammation of the intestine can affect anyone. Unfortunately, there is no specific drug to treat this condition. You can ask your doctor about preventive methods and be notified of any changes in your diet by the doctor.
Your doctor may suggest medicines to treat inflammation and reduce symptoms of colitis. The drugs commonly used are aminosalicylates, antibiotics (such as metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, rifaximin), corticosteroid drugs, and drugs to prevent diarrhea and stomach cramps.
Apart from medication, surgery can also be done to remove the entire colon and rectum. Instead, the doctor will put in a special device that looks like a catheter to connect the end of the intestine to the anus, to allow you to defecate as usual. This procedure is called an ileoanal anastomosis.
If bag insertion is difficult or impossible, the surgeon will make a permanent opening in the stomach and insert a bag to collect bowel movements.
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