Ulcerative Colitis Research Paper

Ulcerative Colitis, also referred to as UC, colitis gravis, and colitis ulcerosa, is an inflammatory bowel disease. Typically, it causes inflammation in the digestive tract which can result in ulcers.

Ulcerative colitis begins in the rectum and spreads throughout the colon. The disease directly affects the mucosa. As with many diseases, the appearance varies with the severity of the disease. In the mildest form, the mucosal surface is usually wet due to blood and mucus with multiple petechial hemorrhages. In addition to this, ulcers of various sizes may form. Lesions also may form along the mucosa if one is affected by ulcerative colitis. Normally, the lesions are separated by normal mucosa. On rare occasions, the wall of the colon may thicken significantly.

Individuals usually develop Ulcerative Colitis before the age of 30. Although this is the case, it can occur at any age, and some people may not develop the disease until after age 60. In addition, this disease can occur in any race, but white people tend to be at a highest risk for the disease. It is most common in North America and Western Europe. An estimation states that more than 750,000 North Americans are affected by this disease. Specifically, if you're of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, the risk is even higher. In relation to genetics, one is at an even

As always, symptoms vary, but here are a few common ones: bowel movements that become looser and more urgent, diarrhea accompanied by blood, rectal pain, abdominal pain/cramping, and fatigue/fever. In addition to theses symptoms, children with ulcerative colitis will generally fail to grow at a normal rate. Depending on which part of the colon is inflamed, some other symptoms include diarrhea, often with blood or pus, abdominal pain and cramping, rectal pain, rectal bleeding, an urgency to defecate, inability to defecate despite urgency, and weight