Overview

Colon pain

The colon is the part of the digestive tract, which is a long, coiled, tube-like organ in the large intestine. After food digestion in the stomach and its absorption in the small intestine, the indigestible part of food matter is then passed through the colon. This organ is responsible for absorbing leftover water, salts, and vitamins from food matter and condensing it into solid waste called stool. The stool is then passed from the sigmoid colon into the rectum. Where it’s held before being excreted as waste through the anus.

Colon pain symptoms

The symptoms of colon disorders may include:

• abdominal pain

• constipation

• diarrhoea

• gas

• bloating

• cramping

• fatigue

Causes of colon pain?

The colon is prone to inflammatory disorders that can be caused by:

• diet

• stress

• lifestyle

• medications

A healthy colon effectively and efficiently remove waste the body no longer needs, so when the colon gets infected, it can lead to a variety of painful problems.

Common colon disorders are inflammatory bowel diseases such as:

• Ulcerative colitis, which induces pain in the sigmoid colon (the part of the large intestine that connects to the rectum).

• Crohn’s disease, which generally causes in the lower right abdominal region or around the belly button.

• Diverticulitis, which triggers pain in the sigmoid colon

• Irritable bowel syndrome, which often causes pain in the lower left part of the abdomen

• Colorectal cancer, which is rarely responsible for abdominal pain

Treatment of colon pain

Poor diet is the leading cause of inflammatory bowel diseases. Statistics show that about 70 per cent of the risk for colorectal cancer can be prevented through specific lifestyle changes such as healthy eating.
Reduce your consumption of certain foods
Modification of diet is the first step in reducing inflammation and reducing colon pain.

Foods that aggravate inflammation in the colon include:

• red meat
• fried foods
• refined sugar and processed carbohydrates
• alcohol
• coffee

Lifestyle adjustment

The second step in eliminating colon pain is making other lifestyle changes which include expelling habits and behaviours that adversely affect colon health, such as:
• cigarette smoking
• excessive sitting/inactive working environment
• lack of exercise

Review medications

The third step in the treatment of colon pain is reviewing the medications you take.