About Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Inflammatory bowel disease is a name that describes two diseases: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, both of which cause inflammation in the intestinal tract. Inflammatory bowel diseases are chronic conditions that alternate between active and remission periods. According to the American College of Gastroenterology, more than 1 million people have IBD in the United States. Treatment can cure ulcerative colitis, but the goal of treatment for Crohn's disease is remission.
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Causes
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Doctors do not yet know the exact cause for inflammatory bowel disease, but they believe it may be an autoimmune disorder. Cells in the intestines turn on to fight any invading bacteria and then turn off again when the threat is gone. This is part of the body's immune system. In those who have irritable bowel disease, these cells don't turn off after the threat has been neutralized. This leads to natural cells being attacked, causing inflammation. Smoking is the best-documented environmental cause of IBD. Those with family members that also have the disease have a 10 to 20 percent greater chance of having IBD, according to the American College of Gastroenterology.
Risk Factors
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People between the ages of 10 and 30 have been traditionally thought of as being at higher risk for irritable bowel disease. However, in recent years more people between the ages of 50 and 60 have developed the disease. Those of Caucasian and Jewish background are also at greater risk than those of other backgrounds.
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Symptoms
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Symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease include diarrhea, urgency to have bowel movements, pain, fever and rectal bleeding. Crohn's disease can cause fistulas, an irregular connection between the intestine and another organ. Fistulas can lead to openings in the skin that drain infected material and stool. Crohn's disease can also cause a stricture, or narrowing of the intestines that can lead to a blockage. IBD can also cause blurry vision, sores in the mouth, joint swelling and rashes on the legs.
Treatment
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The best-case scenario for treatment of Crohn's disease is putting the disease into remission. Ulcerative colitis treatment can also put the disorder in remission, and surgery is an option that could cure ulcerative colitis. Steroids and medicines called aminosalicylates are most commonly used to reduce the inflammation of the intestines. Medications like methotrexate are also used to decrease the activity of the immune system, ideally putting severe cases of IBD into remission. Lack of response to medication or precancerous cells in the colon can result in surgery to remove it. In this case, the colon is removed and a pouch is made of part of the small intestine. This pouch is then connected to the anus. Surgery is a cure for ulcerative colitis, but it's unsuccessful in curing Crohn's disease. Surgery for Crohn's disease provides temporary relief at best. Crohn's disease often reappears in other parts of the intestine after surgery.
Prevention
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There is no proven method to prevent inflammatory bowel disease because in most cases, what helps one person may not help the other. Talk to your doctor and see if he or she recommends seeing a dietitian to discuss adding or avoiding some foods. Your doctor may also suggest taking nutritional supplements, avoiding spicy foods and eating smaller meals. Some patients reported stress reduction methods such as deep breathing and relaxation techniques help reduce the number of flare-ups.
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References
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