Colitis – What Can I Do?

To prevent dehydration, drink frequently and eat a soft diet for two to three days.

Under colitis (including ulcerative) refers to an inflammation of the intestine,   more specifically of the colon. This disease can lead to unpleasant symptoms.

There are various drugs available to treat this disease, but also  some natural remedies can help relieve inflammation.

Here we are going to show you the different types of the disease, the most common symptoms, and some natural home remedies. These can help you relieve the discomfort.

How does colitis develop and what are the symptoms?

There are basically  two types: acute and chronic colitis. Acute colitis is often triggered by viruses or bacteria and chronic colitis can be traced back to various triggers (stress, irritable bowel syndrome, autoimmune diseases, etc.).

If you experience any of the symptoms listed below,  it is possible that you have acute or chronic colitis.

• Acute, chronic, or sporadic abdominal pain
• Intestinal cramps
• diarrhea
• Flatulence
• Painful urge to defecate (constant need to empty the bowel)
• Mucus or blood in your stool.
• fever
• Nausea and vomiting

If you experience these symptoms, it is important that you see a doctor for a correct diagnosis.

The doctor then decides whether it is necessary to resort to medication. In any case, it can be said that natural remedies can help alleviate the symptoms of colitis.

Diet with plenty of fluids

Especially if  we suffer from severe diarrhea due to colitis, we should avoid solid food for the time being.

It is recommended that you only consume liquid foods for two to three days. It is important that we consume enough salts and minerals. Here are some home remedies that can help with diarrhea.

• Rice water.  This is an old traditional home recipe that our grandmothers already knew. To make rice water, take one cup of rice and boil it in six cups of water until the grains of rice are soft. Then pour the water into a jug and drink either warm or cold.

• Camomile tea.  Chamomile has an anti-inflammatory effect and therefore this natural remedy is very suitable. You take some fresh flowers and boil them in water. Serve in a cup after cooling. Instead of sugar, you should sweeten the tea with honey or stevia.

• White cabbage water.  To do this, take some leaves of the cabbage plant and boil them in water for ten minutes. Drink after cooling.

Light diet

When the symptoms subside, we can slowly add solid foods to our diet. Rice, cornmeal products, lean meat, yogurt, and lean cheese are particularly good. However, you should only consume small amounts.

Furthermore are  apple compote (cooked apples) and cooked carrots recommended. Cooked carrots are especially effective because they alkalize the intestines.

Avoid sugar

When the bowel is inflamed, it can no longer function normally. It is therefore important  to eat light foods so that inflammation does not increase. 

Before colitis develops, it is best to  avoid all foods that contain refined sugar  (cakes, chocolate, sweets) and white bread.

The following foods  should also be avoided: intensely flavored dishes, alcohol, coffee and carbonated drinks.

If the colitis is caused by stress, nerves, or irritable bowel syndrome, we recommend doing relaxation exercises more often. Yoga and mediation can also help to relieve the symptoms of colitis.

The very last thing we advise you to do is to consult a doctor if the symptoms do not get better.