Microscopic colitis causes episodes of diarrhoea that’s watery and not bloody. The general public has 4 to 9 watery bowel movements daily, but some people have more. Diarrhoea can last weeks to months.
Microscopic Colitis
Microscopic colitis could be a condition that causes watery diarrhoea. It involves the colon, which is another name for the large intestine. There are 2 kinds of microscopic colitis, lymphocytic colitis and collagenous colitis. Both types cause the identical symptoms and are treated the same way.
Microscopic colitis happens most frequently in adults aged 45 and older. Although the symptoms are difficult, the condition isn’t life-threatening. It doesn’t cause serious problems, like cancer.
Yes. Your Gastroenterologist will do an exam and order different tests to exclude other causes of diarrhoea and diagnose microscopic colitis. These can include:
• Blood tests
• Lab tests on a sample of your bowel movement
• Colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy – this is a procedure that lets the Gastroenterologist look at the inside of your colon. The Gastroenterologist will put a light tube with a camera and lightweight on the end into your anus and up into your rectum and colon. During this procedure, the Gastroenterologist will do a test called a biopsy. For a biopsy, he or she takes small samples of tissue from your colon. Then another doctor will have a look at the samples under a microscope to check for microscopic colitis. A biopsy is the only test which will tell you whether you have got microscopic colitis.
Treatment depends on your individual situation. it usually involves one or more of the following:
• Medicine changes – If your Gastroenterologist thinks that your symptoms are caused by a medicine you’re taking, he or she is going to recommend that you stop taking that medicine.
• Anti-diarrhoea medicines, like loperamide (brand name: Imodium) – These medicines reduce the number of bowel movements you have got.
• A steroid medicine called budesonide (brand name: Entocort) – this can be not the identical as the steroids some athletes take illegally. This medicine helps reduce inflammation within the colon.
If these treatments don’t help enough to ease your symptoms, let your Gastroenterologist know. There are other medicines or treatments that may help.
Some people need to be on treatment long term. That’s because symptoms sometimes come back after treatment is stopped.
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