My options

There are various different ways of dealing with ulcerative colitis. What your GP or specialist recommends will depend on what type you have and how severe it has become.

Medicines
Medicines are often used to treat the ongoing symptoms of ulcerative colitis:

• Aminosalicylates, corticosteroids and immunosuppressants can all help to treat attacks and manage the longer term symptoms.
  
  
• Immunosuppressants are only used when the disease is difficult to control, as they stop your immune system from working properly and increase your risk of infection.

Nutritional supplements are often needed, especially after an acute phase where you may have experienced severe loss of nutrients. Anti-motility medication can help with diarrhoea and laxatives if constipation occurs.

Find out more about how medicines fit in.

Surgery
Removing the entire colon and rectum is the only cure for ulcerative colitis. This is rarely done – and is a last-resort option for patients who are experiencing massive bleeding, severe illness, rupture of the colon, treatment failure or who are at risk of colon cancer. Once the colon has been removed, the small intestine is then attached to the anus or where this is not possible to the skin of the abdomen, to allow waste to exit into a colostomy bag.

Lifestyle changes
Watching your diet can really help to alleviate the symptoms of ulcerative colitis. Regular exercise can also help to maintain bone density, which can be reduced by ulcerative colitis. And, as attacks may be stress-related, finding ways to relax may help you to cope with this condition better.

Find out more about what you should be eating (and what you shouldn't) if you are concerned about ulcerative colitis.