Back toUpdated on October 22, 2024
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease of the colon and rectum. Join your host, Kimberly, to explore the pain and suffering brought on by UC.
Transcript
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KIMBERLY: Tucked within the abdominal cavity is the colon, a five-foot long organ that marks the final passageway of our digestive tract,
a passageway that for close to 1 million Americans is a site of pain and suffering in the form
of ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease of the colon and rectum.
Hi. I'm Kimberly, your virtual anatomy host. And in this segment, we will explore the fascinating world
of the colon like never before. To show it working in perfect harmony, how that harmony can
be shattered by ulcerative colitis and ways to restore the balance through treatment before it's too late,
let's dive deeper. At first glance, the colon appears periodically motionless, almost idle at times,
but is actually quite busy at work, its ridge-like folds expanding and contracting, wavelike churns
propelling towards the rectum, a slippery and protective mucus layer coating the inner walls, the well-oiled machinery
of a healthy human gut. Deep in the crevices, hugging all the peaks and valleys of the colon, exists an ecosystem too small
to be seen with the naked eye. Groups of gatekeeper-like cells specialized in patrolling the body and protecting it
from infections and microbes are making their rounds. In ulcerative colitis, some of the same cells
that are supposed to defend us become confused and misdirected, mounting an attack on the colon.
The delicate balance between the intestinal barrier and its aggressors has been breached. Cells are overstimulated, anxious to disrupt
the fine workings of a harmonious landscape. They strip and erode tissue and recruit more cells
to continue the cycle of destruction. As we return to the surface of the colon, we find ourselves in the midst of an ulcerative colitis
flare-up. The ridges are slowly fading from existence. The tissue is swelling up. The rich supply of blood vessels is
getting lost in the surrounding inflammation. Unfortunately, for this colon, the current treatment
isn't working as well as it should to restore balance. And up ahead, things have worsened. Open sores are forming on the inner wall of the colon.
They are raw and painful, submerging and clustering into giant ulcerated lesions.
The extent of damage becomes almost irreversible. The ridges are now featureless. The colon lining is thickened and narrowed,
and the healthy intestinal barrier has been invaded by deep, raw, crater-like ulcers, that produce pus and bleed profusely.
Treatment isn't the same for everyone. The wrong medication may not be able to calm down your immune system or reduce flare-ups,
leaving you to fight ulcerative colitis alone. But the right treatment will allow the colon lining to repair itself, force the swelling to loosen its grip,
and deprive ulcers of their power to plague every hour of the day.
Talk with your doctor about available treatment options, and let's put ulcerative colitis to rest.
