10 symptoms of chronic colitis that you should know

Colitis is often very similar to a number of other types of intestinal and digestive diseases. If you do not know the symptoms of colitis early to treat, the disease can progress to a chronic disease that seriously affects daily activities.

Chronic colitis is one of the common gastrointestinal diseases in many developing countries, including Vietnam. The number of people with chronic colitis in Vietnam accounts for 20% of the population and is on the rise. Therefore, you should quickly go to the doctor for examination and diagnosis if you have the following symptoms of chronic colitis.

1. Diarrhea

Blood in the stool mixed with mucus is the most common symptom of chronic colitis. Patients may have loose stools for several weeks during the onset of the disease.

Although diarrhea is one of the common symptoms of chronic colitis, it can also be due to your food source or environment. It is best to avoid foods that cause diarrhea or cause intestinal diseases.

You can refer to: 5 foods that cause diarrhea

2. Stomach cramps

Patients with chronic colitis will cause inflammation of the large intestine or the lining of the colon, causing abdominal cramps like cramps. The reason you have abdominal pain is because the muscles have to work too hard, so there will be muscle tension and pain. The frequency of the pain will gradually increase and stop after the bowel movement is complete.

Specialists often recommend that patients avoid taking NSAIDs - stomach pain relievers and instead take antispasmodics under the supervision of a doctor.

3. Constipation

People with colitis often have difficulty in passing stools due to constipation and the inability to digest waste products in the body. Therefore, the excretory system cannot complete its function, causing the abdominal pain to not be relieved. These symptoms cause pain and discomfort to the patient.

If symptoms of chronic colitis are the cause of your constipation, you should consult a specialist to be able to overcome the condition.

4. Tired

Whether you do not exert yourself to work or always get enough sleep and have a reasonable diet, people with chronic colitis always experience fatigue and loss of energy. The main reason is that you have to go to the bathroom too many times, leading to a loss of nutrients that the body needs to supplement other body activities.

Colitis will also partly affect the immune system, causing lethargy, loss of strength and lack of vitality in patients.

5. Rectal discomfort

Patients at the beginning of the disease phase have to face discomfort in the rectal position and even bleeding in this area. The cause of bleeding is because the ulcers in the intestines come into direct contact with organic substances in the food the patient eats, causing burning pain and discomfort.

In some cases, the overactive rectal muscles will also lead to painful and uncomfortable phenomena that greatly affect your daily life.

6. Doesn't taste good

When experiencing symptoms of chronic colitis, patients often feel unappetizing due to bloating and abdominal discomfort while eating. Psychologically, the patient will feel uncomfortable between meals because of their own digestive problems.

This condition, if it happens often, will make the patient anorexic leading to weight loss and often feel tired because the body does not absorb enough nutrients.

7. High fever

Patients often have mild fever when experiencing symptoms of chronic colitis. However, if your body temperature is elevated leading to a lethargic fever, it's best to see a doctor. If you have a high fever, it could be because your body's immune system is suffering and overworked to deal with ulcers caused by a chronic colon.

The best way to minimize this symptom is to get as much rest as possible. You can do the following ways to reduce fever:

• Vitamin C Supplement
• Drink gotu kola juice or minced fish lettuce
• Apply a warm towel to help regulate body temperature

8. Joint pain

Joint pain is another distinct symptom of chronic colitis associated with joint swelling and inflammation. Arthritis usually subsides and leaves no lasting damage to health. Therefore, this is one of the symptoms of chronic colitis that you should detect early.

Experts say that chronic inflammatory bowel disease causing joint pain may be related to genetic factors.

9. Malnutrition

One of the symptoms of chronic colitis that patients often face is malnutrition. When you have chronic colitis, your digestive system doesn't work efficiently, leading to nutrient deficiencies.

You should follow a diet for people with colitis to help you eat better. However, if you are still losing weight for no reason, you should go to medical facilities for a timely diagnosis.

You can learn more: Diet for ulcerative colitis recover quickly.

10. Anemia

Chronic inflammatory bowel disease causes bloody diarrhea and bleeding in other parts of the body. Because of this, patients with chronic colitis often experience anemia. This is considered a fairly common symptom of people with intestinal disease.

Blood loss is mainly due to the loss of red blood cells, causing iron deficiency. Therefore, people with colitis need to regularly take iron supplements to avoid serious complications later.