Definition
The course of ulcerative colitis alternates between phases of acute inflammation of the intestinal mucosa and phases of remission, in which no inflammatory activity is detectable and no symptoms usually occur. The phases of inflammation of the intestinal mucosa are known as relapses. The inflammation damages the mucous membrane in the intestine and leads to the typical bloody diarrhoea.
Causes
The exact causes that can trigger an attack of ulcerative colitis are not known exactly. Even the causes for the occurrence of the disease are not yet understood to a large extent. Stress or emotionally stressful situations are associated with the possibility of triggering a relapse.
The causes of a relapse cannot be precisely determined and vary from patient to patient. In the medical literature there is no clear connection between a cold and an acute relapse. Nevertheless, it is not unthinkable that a cold can be the trigger for a relapse in an individual patient.
How can you detect a thrust?
A relapse can be recognized by the sudden appearance of the typical symptoms of ulcerative colitis (see accompanying symptoms). In the blood, the markers CRP (C-reactive protein) and BSG (blood sedimentation rate) may be elevated. They are classic markers of inflammation and can be used to monitor the course of the inflammation. In addition, more severe bleeding from the rectum or bloody diarrhoea can lead to anaemia, which can also be detected in the blood count.
Associated symptoms
The main symptom of a relapse is bloody diarrhoea in variable amounts. These can occur daily in variable amounts. In a severe episode there are more than six bloody diarrhoea cases a day.
As can be seen from this example, the severity of the individual episode can be assessed by the severity of the accompanying symptoms. The diarrhoea can also be associated with pain during bowel movement or abdominal pain. These are often located in the left lower abdomen.
Since a lot of water is excreted from the body in a short time due to the diarrhoea, weight loss and dehydration regularly occur. Dehydration means that the water content in the body is too low. Since blood loss can be considerable, depending on the frequency of bowel movements and the amount of bleeding, weakness due to anaemia is also an accompanying symptom.
In extreme cases the blood loss can be so high that a shock can occur. Shock is described in medical terminology as a condition in which not enough oxygen can be transported to the organs and other tissue. This condition can be caused by, among other things, high blood loss.
An acute flare without diarrhoea is rather untypical for ulcerative colitis, as it is the main symptom of a flare. Therefore, the frequency of diarrhoea is also an important parameter in assessing whether the relapse is mild or severe. If fever and an increased feeling of illness are given as a symptom, without diarrhoea, other causes for the described symptoms should also be investigated.
Crohn’s disease, which is also an inflammatory bowel disease, is more likely to proceed without diarrhoea. Fever can be a symptom of an acute flare of ulcerative colitis. During a mild flare, temperatures of up to 37 degrees Celsius are to be expected, at which there is no possibility of speaking of a fever. In a moderate flare, feverish temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius are more likely to occur. Even higher temperatures are classic in a severe relapse, although the body temperature of the individual patient can of course vary during the relapse and the values given are therefore only guidelines.
