Managing Ulcerative Colitis: A Guide to Symptom Relief & Improved Quality of Life

Living with Ulcerative Colitis requires a lot of extra time and dedication. There are so many things you can do manage your symptoms, limit inflammation, reduce discomfort and reduce the risk of complications. Taking medication as directed by your physician is the first step, but some simple dietary changes and removing some bad habits can benefit you immensely.

Instructions

How to Manage Ulcerative Colitis

• 1

  Limit your dairy intake, especially if you're lactose-intolerant. Difficult to digest dairy products like cheese and milk can irritate the digestive tract and increase you discomfort.

• 2

  Quit smoking. Smoking negatively affects Ulcerative Colitis, in addition to all of the other negative health consequences that it has. This is one more reason you should quit now.

• 3

  Eat smaller portions. It is more difficult for your body to digest large meals all at once. Breaking down your meals into smaller ones, and eating smaller portions in one sitting, will give your digestive tract a break.

• 4

  Cut out foods high in fiber. High fiber foods like nuts cause the colon to contract, bring on bowel movements, and may increase cramping and pain during digestion.

• 5

  Limit fatty foods. Ulcerative Colitis can prevent your body from properly absorbing fat in fried foods and other fatty foods. Improper digestion can cause gas, cramping, and diarrhea.