Ulcerative colitis is a complication of inflammatory bowel disease, in which ulcers form in the intestines. The hallmark symptom of ulcerative colitis is frequent and urgent diarrhea which contains blood. However, patients are likely to experience abdominal pain and digestive discomforts, and arthritic symptoms and ulcers may manifest in other parts of the body. Doctors classify ulcerative colitis according to its severity; mild forms of the disease can be managed fairly easily, but severe cases of ulcerative colitis can cause problematic complications including anemia and blood toxicity. In its most extreme form, ulcerative colitis can lead to death, but cases of that severity are very rare.
