Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a long-term illness that you’ll doubtless stay with for many years. Most individuals have gentle to average signs, however they are often unpredictable: flaring up after which subsiding. What are you able to count on sooner or later and might you higher handle your signs?

Can UC go into remission?

Ulcerative colitis is what consultants name a relapsing and remitting illness. Because of this signs come and go over time. There could also be months and even years when you haven’t any signs in any respect.

There isn’t any clear definition of what it means to be in remission with UC. Your physician would possibly say that is the steadiness between managing your signs and any unintended effects of therapy. However a greater general high quality of life could also be crucial factor for you, similar to having fun with a symptom-free social life.

Relying on the way it's measured, about half of Individuals with UC are in remission, says Ugo Iroku, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist at New York Gastroenterology Associates. The opposite half have signs starting from gentle to extreme.

Generally, there are three varieties of UC remission:

• Medical remission. That is probably the most primary sort of remission: no stomach ache, diarrhea, or blood in your stool.
• Endoscopic remission. In case you are symptom-free and there’s no irritation of your intestines, you might be in all probability in endoscopic remission. Your physician will search for irritation throughout a colonoscopy, an examination that makes use of a small digital camera hooked up to a skinny, bendable tube.
• Deep (histological) remission. That is probably the most sturdy degree of remission. Medical doctors search for three issues: no signs, irritation, or indicators of UC on the mobile degree beneath a microscope.

Does deep remission imply I’m cured?

At the moment, the one remedy for UC is surgical procedure to take away your colon and rectum. Even if you’re in deep remission, there may be nonetheless an opportunity that you should have a flare-up sooner or later.

In case you are symptom-free for a very long time, you’ll be able to have false confidence that you’re fully cured of UC.

“It's human nature,” Iroku says. He says being in remission makes it straightforward to get on together with your every day life and cease attempting to handle your situation.

“When individuals are in deep remission, they often cease taking their drugs. Sadly, your threat of a flare will increase. It's a narrative we see on a regular basis. The nice factor is that there are often issues we will do to strive to remove [UC] again beneath management.”

He reminds individuals with UC to speak to their physician earlier than stopping taking drugs.

What can I count on if signs return?

It's necessary to know your physique when you’ve got a long-term sickness like UC, the place signs come and go. Perceive yours and hold them in your radar. You will have extra bowel actions than regular, or you could have extra ache. Different indicators embody:

• Diarrhea with blood or pus
• Abdomen ache and cramps
• Ache or bleeding in your rectum
• Sturdy urge to have a bowel motion
• Issues with bowel actions
• Weight reduction
• Excessive fatigue
• Fever

“These are the early flashing crimson lights in your dashboard that ought to get you speaking to your physician,” says Iroku.

The issues that make your situation worse (sure meals or drugs) might change over time. As you grow old, your physique, together with your gastrointestinal system, might develop into extra delicate to irritation.

You and your physician can even work collectively to determine whether or not your signs are actually a UC flare-up or an indication of one thing else, similar to irritable bowel syndrome, an an infection, or a aspect impact of medicines.

Among the finest predictors of a future UC outbreak is whether or not you’ve one now. In case you have energetic ulcerative colitis this yr, your likelihood of a flare-up subsequent yr is about 70%. This additionally signifies that if you’re in remission in the present day, your possibilities of remaining symptom-free additionally enhance.

Quitting smoking, staying energetic, lowering stress, and avoiding set off meals will hold your signs at bay for longer.

Medicines that work nicely are additionally vital for controlling flares. An extended remission could make it troublesome for you and your physician to know if a drug is working. It might take some time earlier than you discover one which helps you are feeling higher. Be sure to go to your physician repeatedly and keep updated on checks, even when you’ve got no signs.