Overview of Ischemic Colitis
The injury in ischemic colitis usually results from an inadequate supply of blood flow to your colon causing disruption and interference with the colons normal functioning. How quickly this interruption occurs and how long it lasts varies from person to person. Impaired blood flow can be very sudden and last only a short period of time. In cases where blood flow is impaired because of blood clots or the build up of fatty deposits in the blood vessels surrounding the colon, also known as atheroscleosis, the condition may take some time to develop and last longer. It is important to know that even though the symptoms of ischemic colitis can be mild, it does have the potential to become severe. If interruption in the blood flow is chronic, or ongoing, serious damage can be done to the colon and even become fatal. If ischemic colitis is mild it can be treated with prescription medications that help to initiate blood flow to the colon, antibiotics to prevent any further infection, and in some cases, blood thinners to reduce the chances of relapse in the future. In some cases antibiotics may also be necessary to prevent any infections.
Ischemic colitis can also be caused by other medical conditions and usually occurs in people over 50 years of age. Other conditions that may play a role in the cause of ischemic colitis include:
-Elevated levels of blood glucose (sugar), a condition known as diabetes mellitus.
-Radiation treatments to the abdomen, due to cancers.
-Blood clotting disorders in which the blood tends to hypercoagulate (excessive blood clotting).
-Hernias that interfere with the blood supply to the colon.
-Inflammation in the blood vessels.
-Abdominal surgery.
-Infections that include bacteria, parasites, and viruses.
-History of stroke.
Ischemic colitis is usually monitored by colonoscopies, which will allow the doctor to look inside of the colon to determine if the condition is deteriorating or healing. During a colonoscopy the doctor may take small samples of tissue from the colon, these are called biopsies. They are sent to a lab and analyzed to help diagnosis or monitor ischemic colitis as well as other conditions. A doctor may recommend having colonoscopies repeated for several months even after the condition heals to ensure that the ischemic colitis is not persistent.
Sources:
www.mayoclinic.com
www.ccfa.org
www.merck.com
Published by Dimpel Nagin Patel
Dimpel is very passionate about her writing, as she has suffered serious and chronic health problems since 2001. Her writing career began as an outlet, due to her health problems, and turned into something... View profile
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