COLITIS

This is an inflammation of the colon and causes diarrhoea with blood and mucus evident. Sometimes symptoms involve abdominal pains and a fever. Prolonged use of antibiotics sometimes have a direct effect on the colon causing colitis. In some cases the antibiotics kill certain types. of friendly intestinal bacteria allowing the build up of a bacteria that produces a toxin that irritates the colon called Clostridium Difficile. Antibiotics also upset the bacterial flora in the intestines and so causing an interference with digestion. A similar disorder to colitis is diverticulitis (inflammation of pouches in the colon. See explanation later under the heading Diverticulitis).

Very often the cause of bowel irritation is the body's poor assimilation or digestion of roughage such as cereals or carbohydrates. If this is the case with a sufferer then the obvious solution is to change the daily eating habits. The digestion of foods should be improved and also the diet itself. Small frequent meals would be far more. beneficial to a sufferer than the usual large type this will allow the body to improve the way in which it uses digestive enzymes. Whole grains or whole grain products if not properly digested can ferment in the bowels causing a build up of wind and irritation. So avoidance of these grains is advised if colitis is diagnosed. As the symptoms for colitis are much the same as those of appendicitis, whenever the symptoms appear a GP should be consulted without delay...(more)

DIET...(more)

Beneficial Treatments...(more)