Colitis Treatment
Diarrhea is a common symptom of colitis, and most episodes resolve in a matter of hours. Medical care should be accessed to be able to receive colitis treatment if the person experiences persistent diarrhea, dehydration, fever, significant abdominal pain, and/or blood in the bowel movement.
The ultimate treatment of colitis is dependent upon the cause. There are a lot of cases that would require a little more than symptomatic care, including clear fluids to rest the bowel and medications to control pain. There are also some patients that become acutely ill. These patients would definitely need intravenous fluids and other interventions to treat their illness.
Depending upon the cause, infections that cause diarrhea and colitis may or may not require antibiotics. Viral infections are treated with the supportive care of fluids and time. Salmonella, a bacterial infection, also do not need antibiotic therapy because the body can get rid of the infection on its own. But there are other bacterial infections like Clostridium difficile, which would always require treatment with antibiotics.
The inflammatory bowel diseases, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are often controlled by a combination of medications that are used in a step-wise approach. Anti-inflammatory medications are initially used, and if these are less than successful, medications that restrain the immune system can be added. However, in severe cases, surgery is required to remove all or only parts of the colon and small intestine.
Initially, the treatment for ischemic colitis is supportive, using intravenous fluids to rest the bowel and prevent dehydration. Surgery may be required to remove parts of the bowel that have lost blood supply if sufficient blood supply to the bowel isn’t restored.
Diarrhea and abdominal pain, which are the initial symptoms in colitis, are also found with mild illnesses like viral enteritis (which is the inflammation of the colon). Treatment at home may include a clear fluid diet for 24 hours, rest, and take acetaminophen (Tylenol) as needed to relieve pain. There are times that symptoms would be resolved quickly and no further care is needed.
A person should immediately seek for medical advice if there is blood in the stool or if the pain is intense. For the control of diarrhea, an over-the-counter medication like Loperamide (Imodium) is an effective medicine and acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be used to control pain.
Medication may be prescribed to control or cure symptoms depending on the cause of the colitis. In colitis that is caused by some infections, antibiotics may be helpful. To control the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, anti-inflammatory and immune suppression drugs may be used.
Surgery may be necessary for Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or ischemic colitis, depending upon the severity of the illness and its reaction to more conventional non-surgical treatments.
For patients who have ulcerative colitis, the removal of the colon cures the disease. For some other illnesses, usually the part of the colon that is damaged or at risk is removed.
As for other therapies, diet, hydration and IV fluids are also essential to patients with colitis. Diet is the mainstay therapy for most causes of colitis. Since the fluid is absorbed in the stomach and none is passed into the colon to be processed as stool, a clear fluid diet allows the colon to rest. Adequate hydration is also crucial because an individual can lose a significant amount of fluid with each diarrheal bowel movement. Lastly, IV fluids may be required, especially if the patient cannot drink enough fluids by mouth.
-- VDoctor
Colitis Treatment Recommended Resources:
University of Maryland Medical Center
Yale University Office of Public Affairs
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