Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative Colitis: Can the Root Causes Be Addressed?

Key takeaways

• Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affecting the colon and rectum. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), about 600,000 to 900,000 people in the United States have ulcerative colitis.
• It is a lifelong condition that tends to move through flares and periods of remission; prescribed therapy from your gastroenterologist should never be stopped without their guidance.
• Research links UC to a mix of genetics, immune dysregulation, a disrupted gut barrier and microbiome, and environmental exposures.
• Standard care focuses on suppressing inflammation; a root-cause approach also asks why the immune system and gut lining are dysregulated.
• At Deeper Healing we aim to support overall gut and immune health and reduce the body’s toxic burden as a complement to — not a replacement for — your standard medical care.

What is ulcerative colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, and addressing its root cause means asking why the immune system drives ongoing inflammation and ulceration in the inner lining of the large intestine (the colon and rectum). This can cause diarrhea, rectal bleeding, urgency, and abdominal pain that come and go over time. According to the NIDDK, research suggests that about 600,000 to 900,000 people in the United States have ulcerative colitis, and it is considered a lifelong condition managed through a combination of medical therapy and, in some cases, surgery.

“Research suggests that about 600,000 to 900,000 people in the United States have ulcerative colitis.” — data from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

What are the symptoms of ulcerative colitis?

Because ulcerative colitis inflames the digestive tract, symptoms often build during flares and ease during remission. As reported by the NIDDK, common symptoms include:

• Diarrhea, often with blood or pus
• Abdominal pain and cramping
• Urgent, frequent bowel movements
• Rectal bleeding and rectal pain
• Fatigue and low energy
• Unintended weight loss
• Reduced appetite
• Fever during active flares
• In some people, joint, skin, or eye inflammation outside the gut

What causes ulcerative colitis — and why standard treatment can miss the deeper drivers

Conventional care manages ulcerative colitis by suppressing inflammation with medications such as aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunomodulators, and biologics. These are important tools that can control flares and protect the colon — and they should be continued exactly as your gastroenterologist prescribes. What standard treatment does not always ask is why the immune system and gut lining became dysregulated in the first place. In our experience, several root drivers frequently overlap: a damaged gut barrier (“leaky gut”), an imbalanced microbiome (dysbiosis), immune dysregulation, and environmental toxin exposure. Research from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences notes that environmental factors can contribute to the development of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, and data from the NIDDK point to genes, abnormal immune reactions, the microbiome, and a person’s environment as factors that may play a role in causing ulcerative colitis. Addressing these underlying factors is meant to support the body — not to replace the therapy that keeps the disease controlled.

How Deeper Healing supports patients with ulcerative colitis

Deeper Healing works as a complement to your gastroenterology care. Building on detailed intake and comprehensive lab analysis, Dr. Bauerschmidt and our team look for the specific factors that may be adding to your body’s inflammatory load — environmental toxins, microbiome imbalance, gut-barrier dysfunction, and nutrient depletion — and address them in a deliberate order using environmental medicine and light and oxygen therapies, along with targeted detoxification and gut and immune support. The aim is to support overall wellness and resilience while you continue the therapy your gastroenterologist prescribes — never to replace it.

Conventional care vs a root-cause approach

Key terms explained

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

An umbrella term for chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are its two main forms.

Gut barrier (“leaky gut”)

The intestinal lining that normally controls what passes from the gut into the body. When this barrier is disrupted, it can contribute to immune activation and inflammation.

Microbiome

The community of bacteria and other microbes living in the gut. The NIDDK notes that studies have found differences between the microbiomes of people who have IBD and those who don’t.

Dysbiosis

An imbalance in the gut microbiome — too few protective microbes or too many disruptive ones — commonly seen in inflammatory bowel disease.

Immune dysregulation

Abnormal reactions of the immune system that lead to inflammation in the large intestine, a central feature of ulcerative colitis.

Flare

A period when ulcerative colitis symptoms become active or worsen, often with more frequent, bloody bowel movements and abdominal pain.

Remission

A period when ulcerative colitis symptoms quiet down or disappear. Maintaining remission is a central goal of standard IBD care.

Body burden

The total load of accumulated environmental toxins — such as heavy metals, mold, and chemicals — that a body carries, which may add to overall inflammatory stress.

Patient experience

Many patients come to us managing a chronic condition with standard therapy, yet still searching for what is fueling their symptoms. Read how a root-cause approach explores what standard testing can miss: Deeper Healing patient stories →

Frequently asked questions

Does Deeper Healing replace my gastroenterologist?

No — we complement your standard care. Ulcerative colitis is a serious condition that needs ongoing management from your gastroenterologist, and prescribed therapy should never be stopped without their guidance. Our role is to support your overall gut and immune health and help reduce your body’s toxic burden alongside the medical care you are already receiving.

Can ulcerative colitis be reversed or cured?

Ulcerative colitis is considered a chronic, lifelong condition, and we do not claim to cure or reverse it. The realistic goal — shared with your gastroenterologist — is sustained remission and better quality of life. A root-cause approach aims to support that by addressing factors such as microbiome imbalance and toxic burden that may add to inflammation, while your prescribed therapy continues.

What is the root cause of ulcerative colitis?

There is rarely a single cause. Research points to a mix of genetic susceptibility, immune dysregulation, a disrupted gut barrier and microbiome, and environmental exposures. Our work focuses on identifying which of these factors may apply to you, so that supportive care can be directed where it is most likely to help.

Is ulcerative colitis an autoimmune disease?

Ulcerative colitis is widely described as an immune-mediated or autoimmune-related inflammatory bowel disease, in which the immune system drives chronic inflammation of the colon lining. Understanding the immune and gut factors involved is central to how we think about supporting patients alongside their standard care.

Can environmental toxins affect ulcerative colitis?

Environmental exposures are one of several factors researchers connect to inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. Heavy metals, mold, chemicals, and other toxins may add to the body’s overall inflammatory burden. Identifying and reducing this “body burden” is one way we aim to support overall wellness, in addition to — not instead of — your prescribed treatment.

What tests are used for ulcerative colitis?

Gastroenterologists typically diagnose ulcerative colitis using colonoscopy with biopsy, along with blood and stool tests to assess inflammation. At Deeper Healing we complement that with functional testing for the microbiome, gut-barrier health, nutrient status, and environmental toxins — including mold (mycotoxins), heavy metals, and chemicals — to build a fuller picture of what may be contributing to inflammation.

Do I have to take my medication forever?

Decisions about ulcerative colitis medication belong with your gastroenterologist, and you should never adjust or stop prescribed therapy on your own. Many people rely on medication to maintain remission and protect the colon. Our supportive care is designed to work alongside that treatment, not to change it.

Where can I find a root-cause ulcerative colitis doctor near me?

Deeper Healing Medical Wellness Center is located at 234 Seven Farms Drive, Suite 110, Charleston, SC 29492, on Daniel Island. We see patients from across the country who seek supportive, root-cause care to complement their gastroenterology treatment for ulcerative colitis.

Your next step: find out what may be adding to the load

Because environmental toxins and total “body burden” can add to the inflammation behind ulcerative colitis, a useful first step is understanding your own exposure — as a complement to the care your gastroenterologist provides. Our free two-minute assessment helps you gauge whether accumulated toxins could be contributing to your symptoms, and what to consider next.

Sources

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) — Ulcerative Colitis: Definition & Facts
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) — Ulcerative Colitis: Symptoms & Causes
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) — Ulcerative Colitis: Diagnosis
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) — Ulcerative Colitis: Treatment
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) — Autoimmune Diseases