What is Ischemic Colitis?

Simply put ischemic colitis is a decrease or interruption of blood flow to the colon. Vessel constriction, low blood pressure, and clots in the blood can all cause decreased blood flow to the colon. When the blood does not flow smoothly through the colon, sore (ulcers) can form and cause bleeding.

Ischemic colitis can be classified as either acute or chronic. When it's chronic it's usually caused by fatty deposits in the blood vessels that interrupt the blood flow. Blood clots are usually the cause of acute ischemic colitis.

There are certain risk factors associated with ischemic colitis. They are: age (it's mostly seen in people over the age of fifty), history of stroke, low blood pressure, congestive heart failure, diabetes, and abdominal radiation treatments.

Typical symptoms of ischemic colitis are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, abdominal pain (usually on the left side), and blood in the stool when the person has a bowel movement. These are of course symptoms of many other diseases.

In order to accurately diagnosis ischemic colitis, your doctor will order either a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy.

While most cases of ischemic colitis are mild and easily treated, it can also be severe and cause life-threatening problems.

When a person has been diagnosed with ischemic colitis he or she is hospitalized. Treatment consists of intravenous fluids and nutrients. In order to give the colon a rest, the patient isn't allowed any food or liquid by mouth for one or two days. Intravenous antibiotics are also usually given to prevent infections in the colon.

After the initial two day treatment of intravenous fluids, the patient is allowed food and liquid by mouth. However, it will take one or two weeks for the patient to fully recover.

When the interruption of the blood supply to the colon is severe or goes untreated, severe complications may occur. Complications such as gangrene, perforation of the colon, peritonitis (inflammation of the lining of the abdomen), and sepsis.

In the case of gangrene, surgery will be required to remove part of the colon. If the portion of the intestine that has developed gangrene is left in, death can occur. The colon is a very large organ and removing part of it will not affect the patient's lifestyle after he has recovered.

The other complications are also very serious and must be treated aggressively of death can occur as a result.

If you have any of the risk factors for ischemic colitis and exhibit any of the symptoms of ischemic colon, go to your doctor. Caught early, before complications occur, ischemic colitis is easy to treat.