Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that affects the colon (large intestine) and rectum. The most common symptoms of this disease include diarrhea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, dehydration, malnutrition, and fatigue. It has been speculated that the symptoms of ulcerative colitis may be worse for some patients during certain months of the year when the weather changes and becomes warmer.

A study on the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease and their relationship to seasonal changes was conducted from June 2003 to May 2004. A total of 425 patients with inflammatory bowel disease were initially enrolled. The onset of symptoms was documented in 353 of these patients, approximately 83%. Of the 353 patients, 150 had previously been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and 203 were diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. According to ScienceDirect.com the patients who were followed during this study produced considerable results in relation to inflammatory bowel disease and changes in the weather. There was a greater incidence of onset of symptoms and flare-ups during the spring and summer months as opposed to the fall and winter months.

Other factors such as environment, allergies related to seasonal changes, smoking, and drug use also have to be considered as playing a role in a person's immune function. Someone that suffers from springtime allergies is going to have a weaker immune system during those months and will probably be more vulnerable to flare-ups than someone who doesn't suffer from allergies.

As the weather changes throughout the year so does the availability of certain types of food. Diet is always going to be the one of the most significant factors concerning symptoms associated with ulcerative colitis. Warm-weather foods can be a problem for someone who suffers from inflammatory bowel disease. A lot of patients cannot handle foods like ice cream because dairy products are harder to digest and can make a flare-up even more difficult to deal with. Barbeques, hot dogs, and hamburgers are also popular during the summer. These foods are a problem first, because animal fat has been shown in studies to trigger flare-ups and second, because the amount of acidity found in products such as mustard, ketchup, and pickles is relatively high and can be very irritating to the bowels. Anything that is processed with vinegar is going to have a lower pH level and therefore is going to be more acidic.

Other foods that are popular during the warm weather are summer fruits. These include peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots and some varieties of apples and pears. All of these fruits fall between three and four on the pH scale making them fairly acidic and again, hard to digest.

The best thing you can do for your health is to maintain a food diary throughout the year and try to adhere to foods that you know you are able to tolerate. As tempting as things like ice cream may be they are only going to trigger a flare-up and cause you pain and discomfort. A change in lifestyle by giving up bad habits such as smoking and drinking are also obviously going to be beneficial for your health.