Patient was instructed on the symptoms of ulcerative colitis as follows:
- Abdominal pain
- Pain is secondary to the inflammation and swelling of the large intestinal walls.
- Abdominal cramps
- Contractions of the smooth muscle in the swollen large intestines result in cramps.
- Reduced appetite
- The abdominal pain and cramps can reduce the appetite and patients can be averse to eating, fearing the activation of symptoms with food.
- Bloody stool
- The inflammation can lead to ulcerations in the large intestines, leading to hemorrhage and bleeding.
- This bleeding can be fresh and bright with some mucus.
