10 Things People Living with Ulcerative Colitis Want Others to Know

Ulcerative colitis is a very individualistic illness, and everyone has different symptoms, treatments, and side effects. However, people with this disease can often share with each other the similar trials they have to endure when suffering from a flare. Besides pain and discomfort, there are many aspects to the disease that the general public does not know.

It's helpful to see things in another person's perspective to try to gain a better understanding of the life they are living.

When living with an autoimmune disease, such as Crohn's and colitis, energy is spent much quicker than the average person. This entails social time too. Someone living with UC may keep canceling their plans with you, but it probably isn’t that they are flaking for no reason. They can’t predict when a flare-up will come or how long it will last. This makes the day-to-day extremely unpredictable for someone living with Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis.

Don’t assume

You know what they say about assuming. Don’t think that the same rules that apply for someone with UC apply to everyone with UC. For example, if your aunt living with ulcerative colitis can’t tolerate watery fruits, this doesn’t mean your friend with UC experiences the same symptoms and complications.

If you know someone living with ulcerative colitis and have questions about the condition, just ask! Your friend may appreciate you asking instead of assuming what might be incorrect information about ulcerative colitis.

Diagnosed cases of ulcerative colitis outnumber Crohn’s in the US. There are over 900,000 diagnosed cases of UC, and each one is different. Some of these cases are severe, and some of these exhibit mild symptoms. And, it can affect any age group. It is most active in younger (15-30) and older (50-70) age groups. Most people living with UC were diagnosed before age 35

People with UC don’t “look” sick

You will not be able to tell by looking at someone that they have ulcerative colitis. This can lead some people to undermine symptoms, or to think that someone with UC is “just exaggerating” or “just has a stomach ache—it’ll pass.” But this is far from true. People living with ulcerative colitis can suffer permanent damage and life-long complications. It’s hard to understand unless you have the condition yourself.

We can't wear their shoes for a day, but we can try to understand the pain and the emotional effects of having such a life-changing disease. We've put together some messages from ulcerative colitis patients that share what they want you to know about living with inflammatory bowel disease.

If you think you have symptoms of ulcerative colitis, or if you live with an untreated bowel condition, speak with your doctor to discuss the next steps.