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Article: Ulcerative colitis. (pamphlet)
- Article from:
- Pamphlet by: National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases
- Article date:
- October 1, 1989
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1989 National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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What Is Ulcerative Colitis?
Almost everyone at times has symptoms of constipation, diarrhea, or abdominal pain. Many doctors say that upsets of the intestinal tract, or bowels, are among their patients' most common complaints. Most of these problems are not serious and will clear up with little or no treatment. In some cases, however, digestive diseases occur that don't go away easily. These are chronic, or long-lasting, diseases and must be treated by a skilled specialist.
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease in which the lining of the colon (large bowel) and rectum becomes inflamed (see figure 1). When this happens, the bowel tries to empty itself ...