Colitis is the inflammation of the inner lining of the colon. There are many causes of colitis including infection, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are two types of IBD), ischemic colitis, allergic reactions, and microscopic colitis.
Symptoms of colitis depend upon the cause and may include:
abdominal pain
cramping
diarrhea, with or without blood in the stool
Symptoms
Associated symptoms depend upon the cause of colitis and may include:
fatigue
fever/chills
dehydration
eye inflammation
joint swelling
canker sores
skin inflammation
Treatment
Treatment of colitis depends upon the cause and often is focused on symptom relief, supportive care, and maintaining adequate hydration and pain control. Antibiotics may be prescribed to treat infectious causes of colitis. Some bacterial infections that cause colitis resolve without any antibiotic treatment.
