John had just finished a meal at his favorite local Mexican cantina. He had some pain in his lower abdomen but dismissed it. Too many burritos tonight, he thought. But then his girlfriend reminded him that he had the same complaint last week after eating a big meal at a steakhouse.

The more John thought about it, the more he realized it was time to see a doctor. It was a good choice, because while the initial symptoms of colitis can mimic minor issues that are easy to dismiss, they can develop into major problems if left untreated over time. He arrived at the doctor’s office, described his symptoms, underwent some tests and came back with a verdict: He had colitis.

WHAT IS COLITIS?

Colitis is an autoimmune disease that typically affects the large intestine, known as the colon. It is focused on the lower section of the colon (the so-called sigmoid colon) and the rectum but can affect the entire colon.

Because it’s a subtle disease, you can have colitis for a while before its symptoms grow so bad that you seek medical attention. In that time, the disease can advance to the point at which serious treatment options, including surgical intervention, may be necessary. While most people don’t want to bother the doctor every time an ache or pain manifests itself, it’s a good idea at least to consider that you may have something wrong with you if the same problems keep coming back, particularly if they occur under the same circumstances, as with John’s mealtimes.  

Part of the problem in diagnosing colitis (beyond not seeking medical attention) is that no one yet knows how it is triggered. While children can get colitis, it’s more common to hit men and women in their 30s. The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, a non-profit that seeks to find a cure for the diseases, estimates that about 700,000 Americans have some form of colitis.