1. Ulcerative Colitis Slideshow Pictures
2. Digestive Disease Myths Slideshow
3. Take the Ulcerative Colitis Quiz

Medical Author:

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

View Full Profile

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

View Full Profile

Medical Editor:

Bhupinder Anand, MD

Tell a health care professional about any persistent changes in bowel habits. If the patient is already under treatment for inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome, contact a doctor if the patient experiences any prolonged changes in the symptoms or passes blood in the stools.

Also seek medical care if any of these conditions are associated with colitis:

• Blood or mucus in your stool (Blood is never normal in a bowel movement. While it may be due a relatively simple cause like hemorrhoids, it is important to make certain that the bleeding is not due to inflammatory bowel disease, tumor or another potentially life-threatening cause.)
• Diarrhea lasting more than three days
• Severe abdominal or rectal pain
• Signs of dehydration such as dry mouth, excessive thirst, little or no urination
• Frequent loose bowel movements during pregnancy
• Progressively looser bowel movements and appearance of other symptoms such as joint pain, vision changes and increased weakness
• Diarrhea with fever

Seek emergency medical attention if the following situations occur:

• Abdominal pain with fever
• Bloody bowel movements
• Severe abdominal pain even if you already have the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease
• Signs of dehydration
• Progression or appearance of new symptoms over a few hours

Must Read Articles Related to Ulcerative Colitis

Abscess An abscess is has several causes and can appear on many parts of the body, such as the dental, vaginal, and rectal areas. In general, home remedies or cures are...learn more >>

Colitis Colitis is an inflammation of the colon. There are many cause of colitis, infectious colitis (bacterial or viral), ischemic colitis, inflammatory bowel disease ...learn more >>

Colon Cancer The human colon is a muscular, tube-shaped organ measuring about 4 feet long. It extends from the end of your small bowel to your anus, twisting and turning thr...learn more >>

See the Entire Ulcerative Colitis Topic Guide »