Ulcerative Colitis Disease free essay sample

The two main drugs that are being used at the moment is balsalazide and Sulfasalazine. Both drugs are classed under a treatment called 5-ASA. For this type of treatment these are the two main drugs used by all doctors. [6] Ulcerative colitis is grouped under a name of a disease called Inflammatory Bowel disease. Inflammation has a literal meaning of â€Å"being set on fire†. Inflammation normally occurs when a tissue has been damaged or destroyed; it is like the body’s response to tell you something is wrong [2]. In other words Ulcerative colitis in which the large intestine, but not the small, becomes inflamed and ulcerated. In Ulcerative colitis it is only the inner lining of the bowel, and not it’s full thickness, which is affected. Ulcerative colitis may affect the rectum, when it is usually called ‘proctitis’, or it may affect the bowel from anus to the top left of the colon (splenic flexure). We will write a custom essay sample on Ulcerative Colitis Disease or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page [6] Where does ulcerative colitis occur? Ulcerative colitis occurs in the colon. It always involves the rectum. It should be continuous, but can also be confined to patches in the colon. Some patients just experience inflammation in the rectum, others have it in the rectum and the sigmoid colon. Firstly genetics, it seems that the genes you inherit from your parents plays a big role of developing ulcerative colitis. Studies have shown that around 16% of people who have the disease have a close relative with the same condition. Scientist have found many genes that are able to code for ulcerative colitis, but how they do not know. Secondly the environmental factors around you have a big play on ulcerative colitis: Where and how we live also seems to play a role in the development of ulcerative colitis. The condition is much more common in certain parts of the world namely, urban areas in northern parts of Western Europe and America. A number of environmental factors have been suggested, including. Diet   the typical Western diet is high in carbohydrates and fats, which may explain why Asian people, who tend to eat a diet lower in carbohydrates and fats, are less affected by ulcerative colitis Hygiene  Ã‚  children  are being brought up in increasingly germ-free environments, but it is possible that the immune system requires exposure to germs to develop properly (this is known as the hygiene hypothesis, and has also been suggested as a possible cause for the rise in allergic conditions such as  asthma) However, no factors have been positively identified. Symptoms of Ulcerative colitis The most typical characteristics of ulcerative colitis is bloody diarrhoea; bloody diarrhoea makes us think of ulcerative colitis. The second most typical symptom of ulcerative colitis is the false urge of wanting to excrete. There is also symptom’s that come and go for example stomach cramps. [2] Solution to the problem Balsalazide 6. 75g VS Sulfasalazine 3g [4] Background: Sulfasalazine is accepted therapy for active ulcerative colitis, but side effects and intolerance are common. Balsalazide is an azo-bounded pro drug which releases 5-aminosalicylic acid into the colon, but uses an inert carrier molecule. The aim of the trail was to compare the efficiency and safety of sulfasalazine, 3g, with balsalazide, 6. 75g in the initial daily treatment of mild to moderate ulcerative colitis. Methodology To start off with the study had 50 patients. 26 allocated to balsalazide, 6. 75g/day and 24 to sulfasalazine, 3g/day. The treatment groups were well matched for age sex and weight. Patients were recruited from three hospitals in northern England. Patients gave written consent and local research ethical committee approval was obtained. Adults with newly diagnosed or recently relapsed ulcerative colitis were included. To determine if the patients had ulcerative colitis they performed a sigmoidoscopy where they look around your colon with a camera. Also they made sure they done a negative stool culture. The study was a randomized, multicentre, double blind, parallel group study comparing balsalazide and sulfasalazine. Each medicine was administered in three divided doses, in the treatment of acute ulcerative colitis. Some patients for the first two days were given a placebo to measure bowel baseline habit. Treatment for the next two days compromised of balsalazide, 4. 5g and sulfasalazine 2g, this is equivalent to two thirds the normal dose. On day 5 of the treatment the dose give was the maximum. Patients were treated over 8 weeks and visited the study sites at 0,2,4 and 8 weeks. At each visit weight, pulse, general well-being, bowel frequencies, the presence of blood in the http://images. emedicinehealth. com/images/healthwise/medical/hw/h9991506_004. jpgstool, consistency of mucus and blood in the stool. Picture 3, A sigmoidoscopy A sigmoidoscopy was performed at weeks 0,4 and 8, with rectal biopsies for histology at weeks 0 and 8. A Sigmoidoscopy is a procedure where a doctor or nurse looks into the rectum and sigmoid colon, using an instrument called a sigmoidoscopy (microscopic camera). At the end of the study, an overall assessment was done to see if the patient achieved remission. Remission was defined as a stool frequency of two or less per day without blood and with a sigmoidoscopy appearance of normal rectal mucosa or minimal erythema.