Final answer:
Complications of ulcerative colitis include dehydration, bowel perforation, and peritonitis due to the inflammation and ulceration it causes in the colon and rectum. While dehydration is a risk due to diarrhea, respiratory distress and fluid overload are not typically associated with it. Treatment may involve lifestyle changes, medication, or in severe cases, surgery.
Step-by-step explanation:
Potential complications associated with ulcerative colitis include dehydration with urinary concentration, bowel perforation, and peritonitis. Since ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and ulcers in the colon and rectum, it can lead to various risks. One of these is bowel perforation, where a hole may form in the wall of the colon, leading to peritonitis, an inflammation of the membrane lining the abdominal wall and covering the abdominal organs.
Answer option (a) Dehydration with urinary concentration can occur due to excessive loss of fluids through diarrhea, a common symptom of ulcerative colitis. However, respiratory distress and hypoxia (option b) are not typically associated with ulcerative colitis directly. Fluid overload and edema (option c) are also not common complications of this disease.
Lifestyle changes and medications are available to treat the symptoms of ulcerative colitis and help manage the condition. However, in severe cases, surgery to remove the affected areas of the colon may be necessary.