Xiao Chen, in his thirties, is a busy office worker. He finally expects to have a vacation. He is ready to go to a romantic international travel with his fiancée. He is preparing for the honeymoon in advance. After arriving at the hotel, he has a gastrointestinal discomfort and rushes to the toilet. Having diarrhea in a restaurant is not only a bathing in the holidays, but also a loss of romance. After Xiao Chen returned home, he thought it was eating bad food to make his stomach, but the diarrhea persisted for several weeks, and it was finally confirmed that ulcerative colitis was caused by medical examination.
Beware of this “major injury” if you have long-term diarrhea and bloody stool
Dr. Cai Yuanyao of the Department of Colorectal Surgery at the Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University pointed out that the above-mentioned case of Xiaochen is not a special case. Many clinical patients have symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. Or even if there is blood in the stool, some people will think it is hemorrhoids bleeding, and think that the condition will get better or ignored, leading to delays in medical treatment.
Diarrhea is a common symptom of Chinese people, but is it a minor illness? Or is it a sign of serious illness? Dr. Cai Yuanyao pointed out that in general, acute gastroenteritis is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and will improve within a few days. As for ulcerative colitis, intestinal inflammation caused by the autoimmune system is common. Diarrhea and abdominal pain are common for more than two weeks. Severe cases may even be accompanied by symptoms such as bloody stools, fever, weight loss, etc. If you continue to let it go, you may develop other complications or even life-threatening.
Dr. Cai Yuanyao further pointed out that ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease and is listed as one of the major domestic injuries. It is not easy between medical treatment and diagnosis. Patients must undergo a series of blood draws, endoscopy, and pathological sections. Check, perform differential diagnosis, and synthesize various information to confirm the diagnosis.
–The incidence of ulcerative colitis is increasing year by year, and there is a potential risk of colorectal cancer
Dr. Cai Yuanyao pointed out that ulcerative colitis usually occurs in young adults between the ages of 20 and 40. The causes are complicated. It is generally believed to be related to factors such as genetics, environment, stress, eating habits, and intestinal flora. In the past, ulcerative colitis The incidence is higher in Westerners, but in recent years the incidence in Taiwan has also increased year by year.
In addition to the typical symptoms of diarrhea and abdominal pain, continuous diarrhea can cause weight loss, bloody stools, and fever, such as rectal and colon mucosa that progresses to severe inflammation, ulceration, continuous inflammation and swelling and even toxic Hirschsprung disease. If surgery is not performed , May worsen into intestinal perforation or rupture, form peritonitis and endanger life.
“Patients with ulcerative colitis will need to be hospitalized for surgical treatment if they have serious complications, and they may even need to use a temporary artificial anus for a period of time. This will not only seriously affect the quality of life, but also indirectly affect the relationship between the sexes.” Dr. Cai Yuanyao reminded that such diseases must be early Early treatment and early control are good to avoid the continuous progression of the disease. Otherwise, studies have shown that if the inflammatory state of ulcerative colitis is poorly controlled and it progresses to the stage where surgery is required, the risk of colorectal cancer in the future is also higher.
“Intestinal” stage anti-war mucosal healing reduces complications
Dr. Cai Yuanyao pointed out that the treatment of ulcerative colitis must be a long-term battle. There are different treatment strategies in stages to promote the healing of the intestinal mucosa as the most ideal treatment goal.
Existing ulcerative colitis treatment drugs include 5-ASA anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, immunomodulators and biological agents, and treatments are given according to the status of the disease and the degree of patient acceptance. Taking steroids as an example, the anti-inflammatory effect is good, but long-term use needs to consider the patient’s reaction to side effects. Therefore, it is mostly used for short-term use when the disease is more serious. As for the traditional medicine can not effectively control the disease, it will consider using biological agents to regulate immunity To control intestinal inflammation.
–When the patient has an acute attack, it is necessary to relieve and stabilize the patient’s bleeding and diarrhea symptoms, help him return to the original life as soon as possible, and then continue treatment, with colonoscopy supplemented by examinations to control and observe the inflammation of the large intestine, and achieve the mid-term anti-inflammatory The target, further pathological sections of the intestinal mucosa, also showed no inflammation. Through continuous tracking and treatment, to achieve the long-term ideal treatment goal of mucosal healing.
However, some patients think they are cured after their symptoms are relieved, and stop the medication by themselves, or even no longer follow up. Dr. Cai Yuanyao reminded that the absence of symptoms does not mean that the disease is cured, but most of the patients may be just starting school or career, and interrupted treatment due to school pressure or busy work. On the contrary, arbitrary withdrawal of the drug may lead to repeated or even worsening of the disease.
Dr. Cai Yuanyao emphasized that ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune disease, and the condition must be tracked and controlled throughout life. If not properly controlled, not only the intestinal tract itself will be inflamed, but also extra-intestinal complications such as arthritis, cholangitis, and pancreas may also occur. Dirty inflammation, iritis of the eyes, etc. Therefore, with regular follow-up, continuous treatment, following doctor’s advice and maintaining good living habits, the maintenance of “intestinal” treatment can maintain the quality of life of individuals and families. (Editor Liang Huiming)
(Zhongshi News Network)
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