How often should I have a colonoscopy with ulcerative colitis?

Although ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are both long-term, inflammatory conditions that affect the digestive tract, ulcerative colitis (UC) may be considered “worse” because surgery may be required earlier and, in certain circumstances, more urgently, in people with severe and extensive UC. With sudden, severe UC, medications and intravenous steroids are unable to control the symptoms, and rarely, uncontrolled bleeding can occur from deep ulcerations in the colon. Severe, sudden UC can also lead to toxic megacolon (a rapid enlargement of the colon) which is a potentially life-threatening complication caused by severe inflammation that requires immediate surgery. Symptoms include severe pain, distension or bloating of the abdomen, fever, rapid heart rate, constipation, and dehydration. Continue reading

The life expectancy of people with ulcerative colitis (UC) is usually the same as anybody without the disease if the condition is well managed and treated and complications do not arise if surgery is needed. One cohort study found that people over the age of 50 years who had extensive colitis when they were first diagnosed were more likely to die within the first two years of diagnosis from complications associated with surgery and other coexisting conditions. Continue reading