8 Typical Symptoms of Ischemic Colitis

Even though you might never have heard of ischemic colitis, it’s a far more common condition than you might think: Statistics says that at least 1 in every 2, 000 visits to the emergency room are due to colitis-related issues.

It’s a health condition that causes impairment of the blood flow through the colon, and will eventually cause perforation of the lining – and other, more severe symptoms related to this such as internal bleeding, shock, fever and infection. Colitis can be treated, and is preferably diagnosed in the early stages for the best recovery – unfortunately, it’s often confused with similar digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (or IBS) and never gets adequately treated because it’s misdiagnosed.

This is why it’s vital to know your symptoms if you (or someone you know) might be suffering from ischemic colitis.

Here are 8 typical symptoms of ischemic colitis to watch out for.

1. Stomach Pain

Stomach pain is one of the most common and usually first symptoms of ischemic colitis. The majority of people who develop colitis will experience stomach pain as their first symptom, and it’s true that while there are some guidelines, the type and duration of pain might vary from person to person. Some people describe it as a stabbing sensation, while other people might just experience the symptoms as some slight discomfort after they’ve had what feels like a heavy meal.

Any kind of recurring stomach pain is a sign that something is wrong, especially if nothing you’ve done has brought long-term relief and the condition still occurs after attempts at treatment. Make an appointment with your doctor if you’re having any type of severe stomach pain lasting hours at a time, especially if you experience this symptom over a long period of time as recurring or if symptoms are combined.