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Ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks its own cells, causing inflammation and pain in the lower part of the intestine, called the colon. It's not known why this malfunction of the immune system occurs, but it is more common in women than in men, and is usually diagnosed in people in their teens and twenties. Ulcerative colitis treatment attempts to lessen the symptoms of the disorder. Ulcerative colitis symptoms include cramps and abdominal pain, diarrhea and rectal bleeding. Besides being unpleasant and painful, these symptoms can cause weight loss and dehydration before a diagnosis is made. Most sufferers only get a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis after being treated unsuccessfully for other ailments. Management of the symptoms is the goal of ulcerative colitis treatment, because there is no known cure for it, yet. Ongoing bouts of relapse and remission are common in sufferers, and while they are usually brought about by medications, sometimes they occur spontaneously. Surgical treatments are performed occasionally, but are considered last resorts. Two large classes of medications make up the main drugs used to induce remission in ulcerative colitis sufferers. These are the anti-inflammatories, which are aimed at reducing inflammation in the colon, and the immunosuppressants, which lower the overall activity of the hyperactive immune system in UC patients. They both can have serious side effects. Some of these drugs are available as creams and enemas, but the higher parts of the colon are unreachable via these methods. Therefore, the treatments need to be oral. But most drugs taken orally are absorbed higher in the digestive tract, and not enough remains to be effective in treating the lower part of the intestine such as the colon. Recent developments of both new drugs and new ways to time-release drugs at the appropriate part of the intestines have helped treatments become more effective. An interesting treatment for ulcerative colitis is nicotine. Having noticed in studies that smokers are less likely to have ulcerative colitis, the effects of nicotine on the disorder were tested and found to be effective in some patients. Surgical ulcerative colitis treatment is kept as a last resort, because it can have permanent and potentially dangerous consequences. If a patient is experiencing long-term, non-responsive symptoms of ulcerative colitis and has exhausted the possible medication options, they might be considered for surgery. Removal of the colon and rectum are the surgical treatment for ulcerative colitis. Previously, the only option for people who had undergone this treatment was to wear an ileostomy, a bag where the stool drains through an opening in the wall of the abdomen that the intestine was connected to after removal of the colon. But new surgical techniques have allowed some patients to defecate normally by reattaching the intestine to the anus. Ulcerative colitis treatment has come a long way, but it is still tricky and potentially dangerous. People with ulcerative colitis suffer from a disease that is chronic and potentially embarrassing, that is difficult to talk about and not well known in the public. Living with this disease presents a challenge, but treatment for it is getting better every year.
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