This group of steroid drugs - including prednisone, budesonide, methylprednisolone, and hydrocortisone - help reduce inflammation.

However, they may cause side effects, including: They typically take 4 to 6 weeks to work. These drugs contain 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), which helps manage inflammation in the intestine. Although several types of medications exist, each drug falls into four primary categories. Your doctor may prescribe medication to induce or maintain remission. If you’re diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, it’s vital to work with your healthcare professional to create a treatment plan that manages and prevents attacks so that your colon can heal.īecause the symptoms and effects of the disease vary, there’s no single treatment that works for everyone. Ulcerative colitis should be confirmed by a tissue biopsy during a colonoscopy. These medical tests will allow them to determine whether ulcerative colitis is causing your symptoms or your symptoms are caused by another condition such as Crohn’s disease, diverticular disease, or cancer. Your doctor may request a blood test, stool samples, barium enema, and colonoscopy. Many experts believe it results from an abnormality of the immune system and an inability to handle bacteria in the digestive tract. The exact cause of ulcerative colitis is unclear. It causes inflammation and sores in the lining of your colon and rectum.Īs the inflammation worsens, the cells that line these areas die off, resulting in bleeding, infection, and diarrhea. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports that, according to research, this chronic disease affects close to 1 million people in the United States.

One minute cure for colitis