Ulcerative colitis, just like Crohn’s disease, can develop from an unbalanced diet, external pathogens or constitutional deficiencies. An unbalanced diet with high amounts of cold or raw foods can weaken the transport of food and nutrients to the body as well as cause injuries to the Abdomen and Spleen. The invasion of external pathogens refers to the infiltration of damp-cold or damp-heat in the body, while constitutional deficiencies mean deficiencies of the Kidney, Stomach and Spleen systems.
Differential Diagnosis
Ulcerative colitis may be grouped into 7 major classifications based on its attributes and severity: Kidney and Spleen Yang deficiency, Spleen deficiency with accumulation of damp, Blood and Chi stagnation, Liver overacting on the Spleen, alternating episodes of cold and heat invasion, damp-cold affecting the Spleen, and damp-heat in the Large Intestine.
Kidney and Spleen Yang deficiencies
This pattern of disharmony also signifies ulcerative colitis that is chronic possibly because of a congenital defect or secondary to chronic ulcerative colitis that damages the Kidney and Spleen. The patient may manifest chronic diarrhea with blood, mucus and/or pus in the stools. The diarrhea may be felt throughout the day or early in the morning and usually is aggravated by cold. The pulse is thready and deep while the tongue has a white, thin coating and is pale. Other symptoms include stomach pain that gets better with heat, cold extremities and body, weak energy, and fatigue.
Spleen deficiency with Accumulation of Damp
This is a chronic condition. The Spleen deficiency may be caused by either too much consumption of cold or raw foods harming the Spleen or a congenital defect. Damp may gather as Spleen weakens in its capacity to transport and transform food. Symptoms of this disharmony include abdominal distention and pain, poor sensation of taste, poor appetite, shortness of breath, fatigue, and dull pain. The patient may manifest a flabby tongue with a white, thin coating and with teeth marks, and a soft pulse. Malnutrition and malabsorption usually occur because of the chronic Spleen deficiency.
Blood and Chi stagnation
This usually develops due to damp-heat harming the Middle Jiao causing stagnation in the Intestines and Abdomen. Stagnation of Blood and Chi is marked by constant pain at a fixed part on the body. Pain is aggravated by pressure and touch and so palpation may not be performed. Other signs and symptoms of this condition include a dark facial complexion, poor appetite, acid reflux, chest distention and fullness, and borborygmus. The patient has a knotted and wiry pulse. His/her tongue has petechia and is purplish in color.
Liver overacting on the Spleen
This pattern of ulcerative colitis means that Wood pathogen is abundant while the earth element is deficient. Emotional disturbance may indicate that the patient has Chi stagnation in the Liver and corresponds to Western Medicine’s belief that ulcerative colitis can be a psychosomatic type of disease. The patient usually exhibits a short temper, irritability and anger. The severity of the emotional disturbance can be directly proportional to the severity of the diarrhea. The pulse is wiry while the tongue has a reddish color and a white, thin coating. Other symptoms include poor appetite, bitter taste in the mouth, acid reflux, borborygmus, stomach distention, fullness and pain, and diarrhea accompanied by blood, mucus and/or pus.
Alternating Episodes of Cold and Heat invasion
This is a chronic pattern that may be due to an unbalanced diet, invasion of external pathogens or other various causes. The patient usually will have bloody or watery diarrhea. When heat is stronger than cold, bloody diarrhea usually develops accompanied by fever, the need to pass stool, dry mouth, a bitter taste in the mouth and stomach pain. When cold predominates, water diarrhea often develops accompanied by muscle atrophy, aversion to cold, and stomach pain that worsens with cold. The pulse is thready and wiry while the tongue has a reddish color with a thin white or yellow coating.
Damp-cold affecting the Spleen
This is usually the result of overeating of vegetables, fruits, or raw and cold foods. The person may experience diarrhea all of a sudden with blood, mucus and/or pus in the stools. He/she may experience symptoms such as mild to average pain that gets worse with cold and stomach distention and fullness. The pulse may be slippery and soft while the tongue has a greasy and white coating. The patient’s body and extremities may also feel heavy, at times.
Damp-heat in the Large Intestine
This is marked by a sudden and acute manifestation of intestinal symptoms caused by overindulgence to greasy, fatty, and sweet foods. There is usually blood, mucus and/or pus in the diarrhea that may be felt all of a sudden. Signs and symptoms may include yellow urine, dry mouth, weak appetite, fever stomach pain and cramps that gets better after defecation, stomach distention and fullness, and tenesmus. The pulse is usually rapid, slippery or wiry while the tongue will have greasy, yellow coating.
Prevention
Eastern and Western medicine both deem that diet is important in the treatment and prevention of ulcerative colitis. Eastern medicine knows that eating too much raw or cold food may lead to problems in the Abdomen and Spleen. Western medicine also thinks that certain foods may lead to ulcerative colitis. Therefore, sufferers of ulcerative colitis are required to stay away from cold or raw foods and certain chemicals (drugs) that may trigger the condition. Foods to avoid include dairy products such as cheese and milk, particularly if the person is lactose intolerant. Also vegetables, raw fruits and other high-roughage foods can worsen colic and intestinal obstruction. It is also important to maintain adequate fluid and caloric intake in order not to suffer from dehydration and malnutrition, which are conditions that often come with ulcerative colitis. Alcohol is to be avoided at all times.
If anemia sets in from chronic blood loss due to frequent bloody diarrhea, iron supplements may be needed. You can also take sustained-release iron products. Some prescription and over-the-counter antidiarrheal medications need to be avoided as they may cause toxic megacolon and worsen your condition. These medications should only be taken under the guidance of a medical doctor or a qualified health care provider
Dominic Sembello is a licensed and board certified acupuncturist and the clinical director of Health Source Acupuncture in Linwood, NJ.
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