Colitis »
What is colitis?
Colitis is inflammation of the inner lining of the colon and is associated with
diarrhea,
pain, and
blood in the stool. There are
numerous reasons for the colon to become inflamed including:
- infection,
- loss of blood
supply to the colon,
- inflammatory bowel disease, and
- invasion of the colon wall
with collagen or
lymphocytic white blood cells.
Anatomy of the colon
The colon is
a hollow, muscular tube that receives products of digestion from the small intestine and
ultimately eliminates them from the body through the anus. The colon is
located in the abdomen and has numerous sections that are named based on their location.
Colitis can affect different sections of the colon.
- The colon begins in the
right lower abdomen with the cecum
(located just above the appendix) into which the
products of digestion empty from the small intestin...
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