Introduction:
The colon is a part of the large intestine. The colon disease causes symptoms like altered bowel movements, pain or discomfort, blood in stools, etc. These conditions are diagnosed by performing a colonoscopy. The treatment depends on the extent of the disease where medications or surgical procedures are recommended.
What Are Colon and Its Function?
The large intestine has two segments, the colon, and the rectum. The colon measures around five feet long, and the rectum is around six inches in length. The colon forms the continuation from the small intestine, where the partially digested food from the small intestine is transferred to the colon. The colon removes the excess water, nutrients, and electrolytes from the incompletely digested food and forms a solid waste product, termed stool. The stool is stored in the rectum and finally excreted out of the body through the anus.
What Are the Types of Colonic Disease?
Colon diseases can be classified as functional or structural disorders. In functional disorders, the colon looks normal with no abnormalities. However, an issue in the functioning of the colon affects the colon and the rectum. And the causes are unknown. In contrast, in structural disorders, an abnormality is detected in the colon that requires surgical intervention.
Functional Disorder of the Colon:
-
Constipation: It is a condition where there are fewer bowel movements less than three times a week. Also, the stools are hard, dry, lump-like, difficult to pass, and have a feeling of incomplete bowel emptying.
-
Causes: It can be due to deficient water intake, roughage, or dietary fibers. Poor habits like controlling or delaying going to the bathroom also contribute to constipation.
-
Treatment: Intake plenty of water, include fiber-rich foods, and roughage in the diet. Also, fiber supplements like psyllium husk can also be recommended in severe cases.
-
-
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Irritable bowel syndrome occurs when the muscles in the colon contract abnormally, leading to a few troublesome symptoms like constipation, diarrhea, and alternating between constipation and diarrhea. These abnormal colonic muscular contractions also cause pressure to accumulate in the colon, which leads to bloating, gas, abdominal cramps, and an urge to go to the bathroom.
-
Causes: It can be due to bacterial overgrowth in the gut, stress, and certain foods.
-
Treatment: It is best treated with medications to slow down muscular contractions and manage stress, lifestyle changes, and counseling.
-
-
Colitis: Colitis is the inflammation of the colon’s lining caused by a group of conditions like infection or autoimmune disorders.
Types of Colitis:
-
Ulcerative Colitis: It results due to consumption of fat-rich foods that causes inflammation or ulcers in the colon’s lining.
-
Ischemic Colitis: It results due to reduced blood supply to the colon.
-
Infectious Colitis: This occurs as a result of an infection.
-
Radiation Colitis: It occurs following radiation therapy for prostate, rectal, or uterine cancer.
-
Crohn’s Disease: It is a condition that is present lifelong, and there is no definitive cure for it, but the severity of the symptoms can be reduced. It causes inflammation and irritation to the gut lining.
Structural Disorders of the Colon:
-
Diverticular Disease: Diverticula are small sacs or pouch-like projections hanging from the colon’s muscular wall, and the condition is called diverticulosis. And when these sacs are inflamed or infected, then it is called diverticulitis. It is common in older adults above 60 years of age. They do not cause symptoms until one of the sacs is obstructed or infected. In that case, they cause symptoms like left-sided abdominal pain, cramps, fever, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
-
Causes: The causes can be due to a fiber deficit diet.
-
Treatment: They are treated with antibiotics, painkillers, and an increased liquid diet.
-
-
Colonic Polyps: Polyps are small non-cancerous growths in the walls lining the colon. They usually do not cause symptoms but are found while performing routine colonoscopies. They occur in older adults above 50 and are also common in people with a family history of colon polyps. In some people, the polyps do not turn into cancer. However, in a few cases, the polyps turn cancerous. So, removing the polyps via colonoscopy is advisable to reduce the risk.
-
Causes: The exact causes of polyps are unknown, but certain factors like genetics, age, being obese, physical inactivity, smoking, and alcohol consumption contributes to causative agents.
-
Treatment: Colonic polyps are removed via colonoscopy. Colonoscopy is used both for diagnostic and treatment purposes.
-
-
Ulcerative Colitis: Ulcerative colitis is the inflammation and wound formation in the lining of the colon and the rectum. It can occur at any age. It causes symptoms like abdominal pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, rectal bleeding, extreme tiredness, and anemia.
-
Causes: The exact reasons are unclear. However, a few doctors believe environmental factors, autoimmune disorders, and genetic disorders contribute to the disease.
-
-
Colorectal Cancer: Colorectal cancers are abnormal cancerous growths in the colon and the rectum. They cause symptoms like blood in stools, narrow stools, diarrhea or constipation, nausea and vomiting, unexplained weight loss, bloating, and feeling full with minimal food intake.
-
Causes: The definite reasons for colon cancer are unclear, but certain factors like a sedentary lifestyle, old age, history of colorectal cancer or colon polyp, inflammatory bowel diseases, fiber deficit food, and consuming fat-rich foods can lead to colorectal cancer.
-
Treatment: Treatment includes surgical removal of the cancerous lesion, radiofrequency ablation, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
-
How Are Colonic Diseases Diagnosed?
Colonoscopy: Colonoscopy is a diagnostic and treatment procedure that uses a flexible and compressible tube with a camera and light attached to one end. The tube is inserted into the rectum through the anus and moved along the rectal pathway reaching the colon. The images are captured on a screen monitor attached to the other end of the endoscopic tube.
How Are Colonic Diseases Treated?
-
Medications: Colonic diseases are treated with medications like antibiotics, painkillers, and medicines that slow gastrointestinal motility.
-
Surgery: Minimally invasive surgery with an endoscope for polyps or small tumors is performed. And surgical resection of extensive or metastatic tumors is performed.
Conclusion:
Colonic diseases are common in older adults and people with a genetic predisposition. A wide range of diagnostic and treatment modalities are available, making the health practitioner diagnose the disease early. With early detection, even colon cancer is treated effectively. However, one should visit a doctor when minor symptoms develop or if there is a family history of colon polyp or colon cancer. This prevents the risk of cancer and improves the patient's lifespan.
