There is certainly a malfunction in the immune system that takes place in ulcerative colitis. However, immunosuppressive medications used to keep individuals from rejecting transplanted organs have shown less effectiveness in treating ulcerative colitis than in treating Crohn's disease.

This is the question most often asked, but unfortunately the answer is still not known. It is likely that several factors work together. There may be an inherited predisposition that places an individual at higher risk of developing IBD. Research among families with more than one affected member will be important in discovering what accounts for this predisposition. Some trigger in the environment sets up the inflammation, and in the predisposed individual this does not go away.

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are chronic diseases, meaning they recur throughout a person's life. The rate of recurrence is different for everyone, and some people can go years between disease relapses. Naturally, the severity of the disease varies from person to person, but most people lead active and full lives after being diagnosed. The life expectancy of those with Crohn's disease and /or colitis is normal. They are not considered terminal diseases.

Ulcerative Colitis (Colitis/ Proctitis) is a painful inflammatory bowel disease that causes ulcers in the lining of the large intestine. Because of the inflammation of the rectum the colon empties frequently. That results in frequent diarrhea. The inflammation gradually kills the healthy cells in the lining of the colon, producing bleeding ulcers in the intestinal wall that create pus. The disease mainly occurs between the ages 15 and 40, less frequently between the ages 50 and 70.

The symptoms of IBS differ from the symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in that there is NO trace of blood in the stool, or history of fevers or chills. IBS is a functional disporder, meaning that there is no demonstrable pathology in the colon or small bowel.

The relationship between IBD and diet continues to be researched. IBD affects people differently and while some foods are easily managed by one person, they could cause discomfort in others. Hence there is no 'one' recommended diet. It would be best for you to work together with your dietician, physician and/or gastroenterologist to arrive at what will work best for you. There have been cook books published for IBD patients.

A thorough physical exam and a series of tests may be required to diagnose Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. The doctor may do an upper GI series to look at the small intestine. For this test, the person drinks barium, a chalky solution that coats the lining of the small intestine, before X-rays are taken. The doctor may also do a visual exam of the colon by performing either a sigmoidoscopy or a colonoscopy.

Ulcerative colitis is very rarely life threatening. Cases of toxic megacolon or excessive bleeding due a very severe flare-up where the colon swells up massively can be life threatening, which is why surgery is undertaken quickly if these conditions develop. Normally, ulcerative colitis is a chronic, life-long illness, characterized by periods of few symptoms, known as remission, and periods of very active disease, known as flare-ups. Ulcerative colitis is not a strictly genetic disease.

Unfortunately the cause for Ulcerative Colitis has not been discovered yet. Many scientists believe that a virus or bacterium might be the cause for the inflammation. Certain foods or stress are definitely not the causes for Ulcerative Colitis, but they may aggravate or trigger the symptoms.

Most patients are treated with medicine prescribed by their doctor. Most of the times a combination of medications and a change in the diet help Ulcerative Colitis patients. By avoiding certain foods, the symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis can be substantially relieved. Patients can thereby improve their quality of life with Ulcerative Colitis. However different experiences have been reported. Therefore the treatment has to be designed individually. In severe cases (25%-40%) surgery is necessary.

Since the causes for Ulcerative Colitis have not been found yet, there is no possible way to prevent this disease. People with Ulcerative Colitis can only prevent symptoms to become more severe.

ANS: My opinion is NO!!, I have spoke to many many people in the last few years with proctitis, colitis, IBD & I have never heard of a single case being reported due to an infection or an infectious agent. I have not seen any convincing medical evidence to suggest that proctitis, colitis or I.B.D are infectious & so be passed on to other people. The truth is that western doctors don't know what the triggers are that set off or cause these conditions.

The difference among these disorders (IBS, Crohns diseases and ulcerative colitis) lies in the symptoms. You can never find a trace of blood in the stool and th

A malfunction in the immune system is certainly a part of Crohn's disease. This may be an inability to "turn off" the immune system after it "turns on" for an appropriate reason. Or, the immune system may "turn on" for the wrong reason. Immunosuppressive medications used to keep individuals from rejecting transplanted organs have been shown to be effective in treating Crohn's disease. These factors have led many researchers to characterize Crohn's disease as autoimmune.

ANS: Unfortunately Stress "IS" a major factor that contributes to people becoming poorly with these digestive conditions. Particularly stress in the work place. My guess is that people who end up with these digestive conditions tend to have a lower stress management level than other people (don't deal with or manage stress well) before the stress effects begin to have a destructive effect on the persons health & well being.

A sigmoidoscopy entails some discomfort, but little pain for most people. If you have active disease, however, this test can be very uncomfortable. Colonoscopy is a more painful procedure, and because of that, doctors use a combination of a sedative and a painkiller, known as "conscious anesthesia," when performing a colonoscopy. A barium enema also is uncomfortable, but not usually painful, except when it is performed on a person with active disease.