Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease in which the immune system attacks the colon lining, causing continuous inflammation starting in the rectum and extending upward. It can lead to diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, and urgency, with periods of flares and remission. Other types of colitis include infectious, ischemic, microscopic, and medication-related forms.
Symptoms often include diarrhea, urgency, blood or mucus in stool, and abdominal cramping, with severity ranging from mild to severe.
Call the office if you have persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, urgency, or abdominal pain, especially with known colitis or a family history of IBD. Report flares early so treatment can be adjusted.
Seek emergency care for severe abdominal pain, high fever, profuse bleeding, signs of dehydration, or a sudden worsening of symptoms, as severe colitis can lead to serious complications.
Evaluation includes blood and stool tests and almost always colonoscopy with biopsies to confirm inflammation pattern, exclude infection, and distinguish ulcerative colitis from other types of colitis.
Treatment aims to control inflammation, relieve symptoms, and prevent complications. It may include aminosalicylates, steroids, immunomodulators, biologic therapies, and, in some cases, surgery.
If your insurance requires a referral or prior authorization, our billing office will make every effort to obtain it before services are rendered. If you choose to proceed without required authorization, insurance may deny coverage. If you are a Medicare patient, you may be asked to sign an Advanced Beneficiary Notice (ABN) acknowledging financial responsibility if insurance does not pay. If you are enrolled in a commercial insurance plan you will be asked to sign a non-covered services form.