Were you looking for information about Ulcerative Colitis? Cholitis is a common misspelling and variation of ulcerative colitis.
Ulcerative colitis, also known as colitis or proctitis, is a disease that can cause
rectal bleeding, urgency to have a bowel movement,
diarrhea, and other problems. The condition can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to other intestinal disorders and to another disease called
Crohn's disease.
Males and females are equally at risk of developing ulcerative colitis, and most people are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 40. Although doctors are not sure of the cause, they have theorized that the disease may be due to genetic factors, environmental factors, or an overactive immune system. In general, without surgery, ulcerative colitis isn't curable, so it often requires lifelong treatment.
(Click Ulcerative Colitis for the full eMedTV article, which provides more detail about symptoms of ulcerative colitis and how it is diagnosed and treated -- and describes how some people with the condition may have a significantly higher-than-normal risk of developing colon cancer. You can also click any of the links in the box to the right for specific information.)
