Is ulcerative colitis life threatening?
Ulcerative colitis is very rarely life threatening. Cases of toxic megacolon or excessive bleeding due a very severe flare-up where the colon swells up massively can be life threatening, which is why surgery is undertaken quickly if these conditions develop. Normally, ulcerative colitis is a chronic, life-long illness, characterized by periods of few symptoms, known as remission , and periods of very active disease, known as flare-ups.
