• General symptoms are fatigue, tiredness, loss of appetite and sometimes fever.
• Specific symptoms related directly to the bowel include diarrhoea (containing mucous and/or blood) with abdominal pain. Some patients may experience nausea and vomiting. The bowel inflammation may result in loss of blood which is not obvious; however over time, this ongoing blood loss can result in anaemia.
• Extra-intestinal symptoms means other body parts are affected other than the bowel. There may be arthritis or inflammation of the larger and smaller joints of the arms and legs, as well as the spine and pelvis bone. The skin may also react in the form of painful purplish-red areas of thickening, most commonly occurring on the arms and legs (erythema nodosum). The eyes could also become inflamed but this symptom is not as common.
  

It is important to understand that UC is a chronic disease but can remain controlled with careful medical attention and ongoing monitoring.

There may be frequent visits to the doctor initially to bring the disease under control.  Long-term monitoring is required.