Thursday, February, 09, 2012

Colitis

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Symptoms can include:

  • Abdominal bloating
  • Abdominal pain that is constant or comes and goes
  • Bloody stools
  • Chills
  • Constant urge to have a bowel movement
  • Dehydration
  • Diarrhea
  • Fever
  • Increased intestinal gas

Signs and tests

The health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions about your symptoms, including:

  • How long you have had the symptoms
  • How severe your pain is
  • How often it occurs
  • How long it lasts
  • How often you have diarrhea
  • Whether you have been traveling

The health care provider can diagnose colitis by inserting a flexible tube into the rectum (flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy) and evaluating specific areas of the colon. Biopsies taken during these tests may show changes related to inflammation.

Other studies that can identify colitis include:

  • Abdominal CT scan
  • Abdominal MRI
  • Abdominal x-ray
  • Barium enema


Review Date: 10/13/2009
Reviewed By: George F Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)