Ulcerative Colitis

Last reviewed: August 2026

Needing the toilet urgently or noticing blood in your bowel movements can be difficult to talk about. These symptoms shouldn’t be ignored, particularly when they persist or keep coming back.

Complete Health Australia provides specialist assessment and ongoing care for ulcerative colitis. We’ll help you understand what’s happening in your bowel and find a treatment approach that supports everyday life.

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What is ulcerative colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is a long-term form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects the colon and rectum.

It causes the inner lining of the bowel to become inflamed and develop small ulcers. The inflammation usually starts in the rectum, the final part of the bowel, and can spread continuously through part or all of the colon.

Unlike Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis doesn’t affect other areas of the digestive system or extend as deeply into the bowel wall.

Symptoms often come and go. During a flare, they may become more difficult to manage, while periods of remission can bring few symptoms or none at all. The condition can develop at any age.

Ulcerative colitis symptoms

An inflamed colon can’t absorb water or hold bowel movements as effectively as usual. This may lead to loose stools and a sudden need to find a toilet.

Symptoms can include:

• Diarrhoea containing blood or mucus
• An urgent need to open your bowels
• Feeling that you still need to go afterwards
• Cramping, often before a bowel movement
• Bleeding from your rectum
• Waking during the night to use the toilet
• Low energy or feeling generally unwell
• Reduced appetite or unplanned weight loss

Ongoing blood loss may cause anaemia, which can leave you feeling breathless, weak or unusually tired. Inflammation may also be linked with painful joints, sore eyes or skin problems.

Contact your doctor if you have persistent diarrhoea or blood in your stools. Heavy bleeding, severe pain, a high temperature or signs of dehydration need urgent medical attention.

What causes ulcerative colitis?

The cause isn’t fully understood. It appears to involve the immune system reacting inappropriately within the bowel, leading to inflammation that doesn’t settle as it should.

Your genes may play a part. Having a parent, sibling or child with inflammatory bowel disease raises your risk, although most people with ulcerative colitis don’t have a close relative with the condition.

Environmental influences and changes in the community of microorganisms within the gut are also being studied. No individual food has been shown to cause ulcerative colitis.

Stress can make symptoms feel more difficult to cope with, but it isn’t responsible for the disease. Some medicines, including certain anti-inflammatory painkillers, may aggravate symptoms. Speak with your doctor before changing any medication.

Diagnosing ulcerative colitis

Your doctor will first build a detailed picture of your bowel habits, bleeding and general health. They may also ask when the symptoms started and how they affect your routine.

Blood tests can check for anaemia and signs of inflammation. Stool samples may be used to rule out an infection. They can also measure calprotectin, a protein that often rises when the bowel is inflamed.

To confirm the diagnosis, your specialist will usually need to look at the lining of the colon. This may involve:

• A colonoscopy to examine the full length of the large bowel
• A flexible sigmoidoscopy to inspect the rectum and lower colon

Both tests use a narrow flexible camera. Tiny tissue samples can be taken during the procedure and examined for changes associated with ulcerative colitis.

A CT or MRI scan may be needed if your symptoms are severe or your doctor needs to check for a complication. Once the results are available, we’ll explain how much of the colon is affected and how active the inflammation appears.

Ulcerative colitis treatment

Treatment is designed to settle a flare, heal the bowel lining and help prevent symptoms from returning. The right option depends on how far the inflammation extends and how your condition responds over time.

Aminosalicylates, also called 5-ASAs, are often used to reduce inflammation. They may be taken as tablets or delivered directly into the rectum as a suppository or enema, depending on the area involved.

Corticosteroids can help control a flare but aren’t intended for ongoing use. If symptoms remain active, your specialist may recommend an immune-modifying medicine, biologic therapy or another targeted treatment.

It’s important to continue maintenance medication as advised, even when you feel well. Stopping it without medical guidance can increase the likelihood of another flare.

Surgery may be considered if medicines no longer provide adequate control, serious complications develop or abnormal cells are found during monitoring. As ulcerative colitis is limited to the large bowel, removing the colon can cure the condition. Your surgeon will discuss how the bowel will work afterwards and what each surgical option involves.

People who’ve had extensive inflammation for several years may need regular colonoscopies. These checks look for early cell changes because long-standing ulcerative colitis can increase the risk of bowel cancer.

Feel more supported with Complete Health Australia

Bowel urgency and unpredictable flares can shape where you go, what you eat and how comfortable you feel making plans. You don’t have to work through those challenges without informed medical support.

At Complete Health Australia, we’ll look beyond individual symptoms to understand the wider effect on your health. Your care plan will be reviewed as your needs change, helping you work towards longer periods of remission and greater confidence in daily life.

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Meet our specialists

Our gastroenterology specialists assess and manage ulcerative colitis at every stage, from new bowel symptoms to established disease requiring a treatment review.

You’ll receive clear guidance about your test results and time to discuss what matters to you. Your specialist will then recommend care based on the extent of inflammation, previous treatments and the way symptoms affect your life.

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Sources

• https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/ulcerative-colitis
• https://crohnsandcolitis.org.au/about-crohns-colitis/ulcerative-colitis/
• https://crohnsandcolitis.org.au/about-crohns-colitis/ulcerative-colitis/ulcerative-colitis-symptoms/
• https://crohnsandcolitis.org.au/about-crohns-colitis/ulcerative-colitis/ulcerative-colitis-treatment/