Non-specific colitis: What is it? What justifies using this name for it? Continue reading the article to find out the answer.
Following a colonoscopy, nonspecific colitis can develop. In this article, we'll go over the key facts you should know about nonspecific colitis:
Nonspecific colitis
After a colonoscopy and biopsy, nonspecific colitis frequently shows up in pathological reports; it does not microscopically follow any particular form of colitis, and it is still unclear whether it is a distinct condition or merely an early stage of inflammatory bowel disease.
Patients with colitis frequently experience nonspecific colitis. A study was done to determine how common it was among colitis patients. Eighty-three percent, or 67 patients, of the 80 patients who underwent a colonoscopy and biopsy were found to have nonspecific colitis, according to the research.
All patients underwent laboratory testing, which included erythrocyte sedimentation rate analysis, complete colonoscopy, C-reactive protein analysis, and random complete colon biopsies.
It was noted that compared to patients with nonspecific colitis, patients with inflammatory bowel disease had much more pronounced clinical and laboratory features indicative of inflammation.
Symptoms and causes of nonspecific colitis
In reality, it is still unclear what causes nonspecific colitis. It is not associated with a specific infection and is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Diarrhea.
- blood in the stool
- mucus in stool
Nonspecific colitis treatment
It is difficult to predict the outcomes of treatment for nonspecific colitis because it may go away or return again without any treatment, and there is no medication that can stop it from returning.
Since it is well known that nonspecific colitis patients' colon tissues are extremely sensitive to any harm or damage, surgical interventions and procedures are not advised. Similarly, drug interventions have not been found to be particularly helpful, with the exception of severe anaemia brought on by iron deficiency in nonspecific colitis patients, for whom high doses of iron were found to be effective.
A suitable diet for patients with nonspecific colitis
Nonspecific colitis does not have a drug treatment, but a special diet may help manage the condition's symptoms.
Here are the top tips for a nonspecific colitis diet:
- carbohydrates
A diet that excludes grains, lactose, and sucrose is known as the restricted carbohydrate diet.
As a result, it is permitted to eat a limited variety of carbohydrates, which facilitates digestion. This system is based on the idea that intestinal bacteria feed on the sugar found in carbohydrates, and as a result, they cause damage to the intestines' walls.
- gluten
Nonspecific colitis has been linked to the same gene as celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, and it is thought that colitis can affect the body's immune system and cause celiac disease or vice versa.
The most typical cause of diarrhoea in celiac patients has also been identified as nonspecific colitis, and significant symptom improvement has been seen in some patients after adopting a gluten-free diet.
- Liquids
It's important to drink enough water because dehydration and kidney stone development are both increased when diarrhoea is present. It's also advised to avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages because they make symptoms worse. Diarrhea also increases the risk of dehydration.
- Nutritional supplements
It is thought that multivitamins may help to replace the missing nutrients since a large portion of what the patient eats may not be utilised by the body when diarrhoea brought on by nonspecific colitis prevents the body from getting the nutrients it needs from food, which results in malnutrition.
Probiotics, also known as good bacteria, support a healthy digestive system, making them potentially helpful for people with non-specific colitis. As they produce certain compounds that kill unwanted microbes, such as harmful bacteria and yeast.