Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is an illness where the large intestine (also called the colon) becomes swollen or inflamed. This part of your body is located below the stomach.  It is the part that helps get waste out of your body.

There isn’t anything you or your parents did to get the disease, so you don’t have to feel guilty about it. It is not contagious, which means it can’t be “caught” by someone else.

The disease is a chronic (lifelong) illness, but it can often be treated with medicine. The disease might have times when it gets worse. But there also will be times when you feel better.

Eating a healthy diet and getting enough food are important steps to help. Your care team will help you know what is right to eat.

There are lots of support systems ready to help you and your family. The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) offers support and summer camps for children with ulcerative colitis.