There are several types of colitis, but all of them cause inflammation of the colon. Some of the types are far more severe than others. For that reason, it's important to find out just what type of colitis you have. There is infectious colitis, ischemic colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, microscopic colitis and chemical colitis. Each one has a different cause and often a different form of treatment. Sometimes food allergies irritate the digestive system and cause colitis.
Infectious Colitis
Contaminated food is one reason for shorter termed infectious colitis. Campylobacter, E. coli, shigella and salmonella are the most often cited. All of these mentioned cause bloody stools, cramping and nausea. Sometimes, after the administration of antibiotics to kill an infection located at another site, it lowers the normal bacteria and allows Clostridium difficile to grow. This bacteria is associated with tetanus and botulism. Its causes C. difficile colitis that has no blood in the diarrhea but does form clumps of pus on the lining of the colon.
Ischemic Colitis
The term ischemic means restricted blood supply. When you have this occur in the colon, it becomes inflamed and causes fever, bloody stool and pain. One reason it occurs is that arteries narrow gradually with aging or diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking or high blood pressure. Even low blood pressure might be a cause since it slows the blood flow. Anemia may also be a cause. Occasionally the bowel twists or herniates through the abdomen. This, too, causes symptoms of ischemic colitis.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
The two best-known forms of IBD are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Ulcerative colitis starts in the rectal area and sigmoid colon, progressing through the ascending colon with time. An overactive immune system causes the disease and normally includes inflammation at other locations like arthritis. The symptoms include loss of weight and appetite, nausea, inflammation or pain at other locations like the skin, joints or eyes, exhaustion and the urge to continue going to the bathroom. Crohn's disease causes ulcerations primarily in the intestines but can include any part of the digestive system from the anus to the mouth. No one knows the cause of Crohn's disease. The symptoms are much like ulcerative colitis but occur everywhere in the .
Microscopic Colitis
Microscopic colitis can only be diagnosed when the cells of the colon are seen under a microscope. The inflammation then appears. Two forms of this type of colitis occur. The first is collagenous colitis and the other is lymphocytic colitis. In both cases, either the collagen or lymphocytes create an engorgement of the walls of the colon. The symptoms from these types of colitis include watery diarrhea with no blood in the stool.
Chemical Colitis
Chemical colitis occurs when there's a harsh chemical introduced into the colon, often by means of an enema. When the fad of hydrogen peroxide enemas where popular treatments prior to 1950, it created a number of cases of chemical colitis. Soapy enemas are often culprits for the condition. Chemical colitis produces conditions ripe to encourage other forms of colitis.
Food Allergies and Intolerances
Many of the symptoms of colitis are from the body's inability to cope with specific types of food or allergies to them. Many people with ulcerative colitis are not only lactose intolerant but also have problems with gluten. Allergic reactions to some foods may even involve tap water and subside only when the patients take distilled water. Some of the allergic reactions actually cause ulcerative colitis. Removing foods from the diet to seek relief is the only solution in these cases.
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