Colonic Diseases (General)

The colon is the large intestine, and is divided into several regions, based on distance through the large intestine and functional purpose of the region. Colonic diseases include colon cancer, Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, diverticulosis, polyps, and ulcerative Colitis. Colonic diseases are quite common in the United States and around the globe.

Colon cancer and the related cancer of the rectum are very common cancer types. Colon cancer has subtle symptoms, such as blood in the stool or altered appearance of stool, which are also symptoms of a variety of other digestive or intestinal disorders. Because early diagnosis of colon cancer is related to a better prognosis, annual screening of stool for blood is recommended for people older than fifty years. Colon cancer often develops from polyps, which are benign growths on the colonic lining. If a polyp begins to grow uncontrollably, it may be cancerous. Routine colonic cancer screening by a colonoscopy is recommended for older people. The colonoscopy is performed via insertion of a long flexible tube with a camera on one end, into the colon via the anus and rectum. The patient is generally sedated intravenously for this process. The extent of the colonoscopy can be total, which examines the entire colon, or flexible sigmoidal, which investigates the end portion only. If no polyps are present, the total screen can be repeated every ten years. A flexible sigmoidal colonoscopy should be repeated every five years.

Crohn's disease is a chronic disorder of the digestive tract that often affects the large intestine, though it can affect the tract from the esophagus to the rectum. It is an inflammatory disorder that may be auto-immune. It may have genetic components, but often the cause is idiopathic, meaning it is unknown. The inflammation can result in pain and difficulty in passing stool. Crohn's patients can benefit by following a diet regimen that avoids aggravating foods while maintaining proper nutrition, taking corticosteroids and antibiotics if necessary, and painkiller medications. A supplement of vitamin E may need to be added to the diet, as Crohn's patients may not absorb enough vitamin E from a regular diet. Sometimes surgery may be recommended, to remove parts of the diseased organ. Surgery is not always successful, and inflammation often recurs. The disease typically inflames during periods of high stress or after exerting physical activity.

Diverticulosis and diverticulitis together are called diverticular disease. A diverticulum (plural: diverticula) is an outpouching of the colon. These outpouches appear in weak spots in the colon, and are not uncommon. When a person has diverticulosis, he or she may not present with any symptoms. If any symptoms do occur, they are typically bloating, constipation, or mild cramps. Sometimes the diverticula become infected or otherwise inflamed, which is called diverticulitis. Symptoms of diverticulitis are abdominal pain, especially tenderness in the lower left abdominal region. If the diverticulitis is due to infection of the diverticula, typically symptoms of an infection will present, such as fever, chills, nausea, fatigue, aches, etc. The infection can be treated with antibiotics and the person is often back to normal health within a few days. Diverticular disease may be lessened or prevented by a diet high in fiber.

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