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Distal colitis is a type of ulcerative colitis that causes inflammation in the left half of the colon, increasing the risk of colon cancer. Symptoms include painful cramps, bloody diarrhea, and weight loss. The cause is uncertain, but it may be related to a dysfunctional immune system. Treatment involves reducing inflammation with anti-inflammatory drugs or immune system suppressants, and surgery in severe cases.
Distal colitis is also known as left-sided colitis. The term is used to describe a particular variety of ulcerative colitis, which is an inflammatory disease of the colon. In the distal version of the disease, only the left half of the colon is inflamed. Often, the inflammation can extend into the rectum and into the descending colon. Distal colitis can significantly increase a person’s risk of colon cancer, especially if the symptoms are particularly severe.
Each variety of ulcerative colitis has its own particular symptoms. Distal colitis tends to cause painful cramps, pain on the left side of the body, bloody diarrhea, and weight loss. Some other symptoms that all ulcerative colitis sufferers may experience include rectal bleeding, fever, arthritis, and anemia. Some patients also lose their appetite and may occasionally feel nauseous.
The cause of colitis is still uncertain, but some researchers think it is caused by a person’s immune system. These researchers think that there may be some type of bacterial infection in the colon that causes the immune system to overreact and attack the colon itself, leading to inflammation. Some people also think it may be symptomatic of a dysfunctional immune system that is reacting to a threat that doesn’t actually exist. Inheritance also appears to play a role, but the extent of that role is unclear.
Besides heredity, there are a few other risk factors for distal colitis and other forms of ulcerative colitis. In terms of age, people in their 30s appear to be at slightly higher risk. Whites and especially Jews are at higher risk, and people who use a lot of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have a higher chance of developing the disorder.
Symptoms of distal colitis can be somewhat similar to many other ailments, including Crohn’s disease, colon cancer, and irritable bowel syndrome. Doctors will usually need to run some tests to rule out these other possibilities before treating a person. Some of these tests might include a blood test, a colonoscopy, and a barium enema.
When treating distal colitis, doctors usually start by trying to reduce the inflammation directly. You can try different prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs. Some of these have very serious side effects, so it often takes some time to find a good drug for each patient. If these drugs aren’t effective, doctors may try other things like immune system suppressants. In some severe cases, doctors may need to resort to surgery.
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