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Remission can last for weeks or even for several years.

person experiencing stomach pain

Ulcerative colitis causes aren’t entirely known, but have something to do with genetics, environmental factors, and gut bacteria.

If and whenulcerative colitis symptomsreturn, its called anulcerative colitis flare-upor relapse.

Ulcerative colitis is anautoimmune disease, meaning your body is literally working against you.

Heres what experts know about ulcerative colitis causes so far.

How does ulcerative colitis affect the body?

The scientific name for this layer of cells is the epithelium.

What do experts know about ulcerative colitis causes?

Doctors and researchers arent exactly sure what sets off the immune system to begin with.

However, its generally accepted that ulcerative colitis is because of a very complex interaction of several factors.

Heres a bit more about each one:

Your colon is full of bacteria.

These help you digest food and are also important for overall gut health.

Your microbiome, which is the makeup of microbes in your gut, is altered in ulcerative colitis.

A 2020 systematic review published in the journalFrontiers in Medicineanalyzed the microbiomes of five groups of people with IBD.

Researchers were able to detect significant differences in the microbiomes between people with IBD and people without IBD.

The incidence of IBD, including ulcerative colitis, has been increasing around the world.

Some examples include the United States, Canada, and western and northern Europe.

One idea of why this has happened is called the hygiene hypothesis.

This may lead to alterations in gut bacteria, raising the risk of IBD in some people.

What other types of environmental factors are important?

Genetics can play a role in causing ulcerative colitis.

Up to 20% of diagnosed patients have a first-degree relative with UC, Dr. Holmer says.

(First-degree relatives include parents, siblings, and children.)

Interestingly, many of these locations contribute to both ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease.

It simply means youre at elevated risk compared to others without risk factors.

According to the NIDDK, people between the ages of 15 and 30 are most likely to develop UC.

The condition may also affect children differently.

Children diagnosed with ulcerative colitis generally experience more of an aggressive disease course than adults, Dr. Holmer says.

Ulcerative colitis also occurs more commonly in Ashkenazi Jewish people.

Founder mutations can increase the risk of various health conditions.

Do ulcerative colitis causes and Crohns disease causes overlap?

In Crohns disease, areas of your digestive tract become irritated and inflamed.

While ulcerative colitis only affects your colon, Crohns disease can impact any part of your digestive tract.

Much like ulcerative colitis, the exact causes of Crohns disease remain unclear.

Similar factors are believed to play a role, including a dysfunctional immune response and genetics.

Is ulcerative colitis contagious?

No, ulcerative colitis is not contagious.

However, its worth pointing out that there are some types ofcolitisthat are contagious.

Some viruses can lead to infectious colitis as well, including norovirus and rotavirus.

Infectious colitis can spread via the fecal-oral route.

Its currently unclear if there are ways to prevent ulcerative colitis.

Its possible that adjusting your diet may have some benefits when it comes to managing symptoms, though.

Ultimately, Dr. Holmer hopes future research can help to clarify the effect ofdiet on ulcerative colitisand Crohns disease.

When it comes to finding an ulcerative colitis cure, the hunt is still on.

These include medications to reduce inflammation in the colon, and surgery if you arent responding well to medications.