Ischemic Colitis

What Is Ischemic Colitis?

Ischemic colitis is different from ulcerative colitis, which is covered elsewhere on this website.

When you have ischemic colitis, part of your colon becomes enlarged and inflamed because it's not getting an adequate blood supply. The word "ischemia" comes from a Greek word meaning restricted blood supply. It is often used in reference to blocked or narrowed coronary arteries which of course, can cause a heart attack.

Typically, ischemic colitis affects the left side of the colon, causing pain in the abdomen. But any part of the colon is susceptible depending on the cause of the blockage.

Normally, this disorder sounds scarier than it actually is, because most cases are mild and cure themselves in a few days. However, a severe case is possible in which there's permanent colon damage.

Ischemic colitis causes There are a number of reasons blood flow to the colon may be insufficient.

Colon cancer is the most serious of the ischemic colitis causes. If you have any of the symptoms of colon cancer, it's important to see your doctor right away. Click on colon cancer to see a list.

Atherosclerosis is a possible cause. Atherosclerosis is a condition in which fatty deposits build up on blood vessel walls. These make the blood vessels more narrow, and less blood gets through to organs and tissues. Often, chronic cases result from atherosclerosis.

Blots clots are another possible cause. These account for many of the cases of acute ischemic colitis.

Ischemic colitis can also be a symptom of other disorders, including hernia and diabetes.

In rare instances, certain medications may be the cause. These include NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), estrogen replacement medications, and migraine relievers. Anti-psychotic medications and blood pressure medications are also possibilities.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning that a prescription drug called alosetron (also known as Lotronex) may be linked to ischemic colitis. Alosetron is typically used by women with severe irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
 
Abdominal surgery sometimes causes temporary ischemic colitis.

It may also be caused by infections involving certain kinds of bacteria.

Ischemic colitis symptoms Some ischemic colitis symptoms definitely get your attention. These include an urgent feeling that you need to move your bowels, and bright red or maroon colored blood in your stool. Sometimes you may even pass blood without stool. Diarrhea is typical.

You may experience abdomen pain, which may come on gradually or suddenly, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and a low grade fever.

Pain in the upper abdomen after eating is often a symptom of gallbladder problems. But it could also be ischemic colitis.

If you experience pain on the right side of your abdomen, it probably means blood flow to your small intestines is being blocked. This can be serious because it can lead to tissue death, which can be life threatening. Surgery may be necessary to correct the problem, so it's important to get medical attention right away if these symptoms begin to present themselves.

Treatment Treatment depends on severity. Mild cases can be treated with medications designed to keep your blood pressure levels normal. Antibiotics are appropriate if it appears the problem is caused by an infection. He or she may, in certain cases, prescribe a blood thinning drug like warfarin to help keep blood flowing smoothly.

If it is unrelated to any other health problems, symptoms usually subside in a day or two. But if it's connected to some other disorder, your doctor will need to treat the underlying cause.

Severe ischemic colitis cases may require surgery. These are cases that might be associated with a bleeding ulcer, a perforated colon, gangrene or a blood infection.

After your ischemic colitis has healed, your doctor will probably want to follow up with a colonoscopy to make sure you're completely cure. 

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