A Simple Guide to Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Colon Diseases. A Simple Guide to Medical Conditions, #30

The colon is also known as the large intestine and a part of the digestive system. It's a long, hollow tube about 6 feet in length at the end of the digestive tract where the body makes and stores stool. It can cause various symptoms including bleeding, infection and perforation. Many disorders affect the colon's normal ability to function properly. Some of these include1. Irritable bowel syndrome - an uncomfortable condition causing abdominal cramping and other symptoms2.
Diverticulitis - inflammation or infection of pouches in the colon3. Ulcerative colitis - ulcers of the colon and rectum4. Megacolon - abnormal dilation of the colon5. Colonic polyps - extra tissue growing in the colon that can become cancerous6. Colorectal cancer - malignant disease of the colon and rectum7. Pseudomembranous EnterocolitisSome symptoms of the colon are:1. Abdominal pain can be crampy, achy or sharp, and can be intermittent or constant.
Abdominal pain related to colon disease may come and go in waves and may be accompanied by bloating.2. Most colon diseases cause changes in normal bowel habits; stools may become looser than normal and more frequent or less frequent, hard and difficult to pass3. Weight loss and fatigue often accompany colon cancer, diverticulosis and ulcerative colitis. Treatment for colonic diseases varies greatly depending on the disease and its severity.
Treatment may involve diet, medicines and in some cases, surgery. TABLE OF CONTENTChapter 1 Colon DiseasesChapter 2 IBSChapter 3 DiverticulosisChapter 4 Ulcerative ColitisChapter 5 MegacolonChapter 6 Colon PolypsChapter 7 Colorectal CancerChapter 8 Pseudomembranous EnterocolitisChapter 9 ConstipationChapter 10 DiarrheaEpilogue