What is colitis and its symptoms?

Do you experience abdominal pain or cramps? Do you feel pain in the rectum? Do you often get irregular bowel movements? If your answer to these questions is a yes, you may be suffering from a condition known as Colitis. Colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. As inflammation rises upwards from the rectum, the lining of the large intestine becomes inflamed. When this condition is not managed or treated properly, the inflammation of the intestine leads to the formation of open sores. This condition is referred to as Ulcerative Colitis, a severe and chronic form of Colitis. Colitis, both ulcerative and non-ulcerative can occur at any age but its onset is most common among people between the ages of 15 - 40. Certain autoimmune factors, food allergies, collagen disorders, genetic factors and infections are said to be the factors that cause inflammation in cases of Ulcerative Colitis.

According to Ayurveda, all the factors that imbalance Pitta Dosha (Ayurvedic humor representing Fire) are responsible for causing colitis. These include eating while watching TV or walking, excessive heat or exposure to the sun, excessive alcohol and smoking, excessive mental activity, skipping meals, consuming spicy, sour, stale or infected foods, etc.

Symptoms of Colitis

Colitis may show different symptoms in different patients. The most common signs and symptoms of colitis include:

• Abdominal cramps
• Pain in the rectum
• Lack of appetite
• Unintended weight loss
• Irregular bowel movements
• Unexplained fatigue
• Heartburn
• Unpleasant body odour

When the condition becomes severe, patients experience ulcerative colitis symptoms such as blood in the stool, presence of white or clear mucus in stools, frequent urgency to defecate, inability to defecate despite urgency, fever, anemia and nutritional deficiencies. If left untreated, these symptoms of colitis can get worse and may become a more severe, challenging condition to treat in the future.

Ulcerative colitis may also increase the risk of possible complications such as severe bleeding, a hole in the colon (perforated colon), severe dehydration, bone loss (osteoporosis), inflammation of the skin, joints and eyes, and an increased risk of colon cancer. Therefore, it is advisable to take timely treatment for colitis on observing the above-mentioned symptoms.

Colitis Treatment in Ayurveda

Ayurvedic treatment for colitis is very effective. It is a combination of personalized herbal medicines, diet and lifestyle plans along with customized Ayurvedic home remedies for colitis that addresses the root-cause of the problem.

Ayurvedic Doctors identify the digestive capacity of an individual and suggest treatment or Panchakarma therapy to deeply cleanse the body of impurities. You can consult our doctors at Jiva for colitis treatment. We have vast experience of 27 years of treating patients for various digestive disorders including colitis. Our doctors identify the root cause of colitis and suggest a personalized treatment plan to give you effective results. Ayurveda treatment will not only help treat your colitis from the root but also improves your overall health and wellbeing. Following the Ayurvedic Lifestyle suggested by our doctors, you can save yourself from various illnesses and live a healthy, happy, and peaceful life.