Medical history (history of illness) represents an important component in the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis.
Family history
- What is the general health of your family members?
- Are there any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in your family that are common?
Social history
- What is your profession?
- Are you exposed to harmful working substances in your profession?
- Is there any evidence of psychosocial stress or strain due to your family situation?
Current medical history/systemic history (somatic and psychological complaints).
- Do you have mucopurulent or bloody diarrhea?*
- Do you have pain during bowel movements?
- Do you have an increased frequency of bowel movements?
- What is the number of liquid bowel movements within a week?
- Do you suffer from increased urge to defecate?
- Do you have to get up at night to have a bowel movement?
- Do you not feel completely emptied after a bowel movement?
- Do you/have you had a fever recently?
- Do you feel sluggish and tired?
- Do you suffer from loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting?
- Do you have increased joint pain?
- Do you have increased bone pain?
- Have you noticed skin changes such as redness or ulceration?
- Have you noticed mouth sores more frequently lately?
- Have you noticed eye conditions such as inflammation?
- How long have the symptoms existed?
Vegetative anamnesis including nutritional anamnesis.
- Have you been eating a diet low in complex carbohydrates and fiber?
- Have you lost body weight unintentionally?
- Please tell us your body weight (in kg) and height (in cm).
- Do you suffer from sleep disorders?
- Do you smoke? If yes, how many cigarettes, cigars or pipes per day?
- Do you drink alcohol? If yes, what drink(s) and how many glasses per day?
- Do you use drugs? If yes, what drugs and how often per day or per week?
Self-history
- Previous illnesses (gastrointestinal diseases)
- Operations
- Allergies
- Environmental history (influence of bacteria, viruses as well as pollutants).
Medication history
- Repeated and early use of antibiotics, especially those with a broad spectrum of activity.
- Taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
- TNF blockers (biologics that neutralize tumor necrosis factor alpha): etanercept: adjusted hazard ratio of 2.0 (95% confidence interval 1.5 to 2.8); no increased risk was detectable for infliximab and adalimumab.
* If this question has been answered with “Yes”, an immediate visit to the doctor is required! (Data without guarantee)
