Your colon is your large intestine (bowel). Your rectum is the end of your bowel, where poo is stored.
If you have ulcerative colitis, you get swelling, inflammation and ulcers in the lining of your large bowel. They can bleed and produce pus.
Ulcerative colitis can affect people of all ages, but it’s usually diagnosed between the age of 15 and 40.
If you have ulcerative colitis, you get swelling, inflammation and ulcers in the lining of your large bowel. They can bleed and produce pus.
Ulcerative colitis can affect people of all ages, but it’s usually diagnosed between the age of 15 and 40.
Ulcerative colitis can affect people of all ages, but it’s usually diagnosed between the age of 15 and 40.
The main symptoms of ulcerative colitis are:
recurring diarrhoea, which may contain blood, mucus or pus
abdominal pain
needing to poo often
You may also experience:
extreme tiredness (fatigue)
loss of appetite
weight loss
Some people also get symptoms in other parts of their body. For example, some people develop:
painful and swollen joints (arthritis)
mouth ulcers
areas of painful, red and swollen skin
irritated and red eyes
Speak to your GP practice if:
you have symptoms of ulcerative colitis and you haven’t been diagnosed with the condition
Symptoms of a flare-up
Some people may go for weeks or months with very mild symptoms, or none at all. This is known as remission. This may be followed by periods where the symptoms are particularly troublesome. These are known as flare-ups or relapses.
Symptoms of flare-ups vary from person-to-person. They may include:
diarrhoea 6 or more times a day
blood or mucus in your poo
severe abdominal pain
symptoms in other parts of your body
Severe ulcerative colitis can also cause symptoms like:
shortness of breath
a fast or irregular heartbeat
a high temperature (fever)
blood in your poo becoming more obvious
Speak to your inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) team if:
you have ulcerative colitis and think you’re having a flare-up