The number of stools per day that is “normal” is different for everyone. To figure out what’s normal for you, think about the number of bowel movements you have when you are feeling well, for example before you were diagnosed with UC or when your UC was completely controlled.
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Remission: No blood or urgency and normal bowel function
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Mild disease: Fewer than four stools per day (with or without blood) without other symptoms and normal inflammatory markers
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Moderate disease: Four or more bloody stools per day with minimal signs of other symptoms in the body
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Severe disease: More than six bloody stools per day with signs of systemic effects such as:
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Fevers.
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Abnormally rapid heart rate.
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Anemia (red blood cell deficiency).
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Fulminant disease: More than 10 bloody bowel movements per day and may have other symptoms, including abdominal swelling or the need for blood transfusions
How would you describe your UC?
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Monitoring disease activity
Your health care provider will monitor the activity of your UC to check the symptoms of your disease at a certain point in time. This is called treat-to-target. The goal is to get to and maintain remission (no signs or symptoms of active UC).
Once you and your health care provider talk about the treatment goals, your provider will order periodic tests to monitor your UC. These may include some of the tests used when you received your diagnosis, including blood tests, stool tests, and imaging.
Do you know more about UC after visiting this website?
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