Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease affecting the colon. It is characterised by bloody diarrhoea and abdominal pain. It tends to be a long-term condition, but the majority of patients can be kept well by using medication to suppress inflammation. There is an increased risk of bowel cancer with this condition, which requires a carerful eye being kept on it once you have had the disease for more than ten years. Overall ulcerative colitis does not reduce life expectancy.
