Inflammatory bowel disease: Treatment and Tips to manage
Inflammatory bowel disease represents a group of intestinal disorders
that cause prolonged inflammation of the digestive tract. And when you
have IBD, you can have some rough seas if you have to navigate to work
and if your work requires being outdoors. You may be dealing with
diarrhea, bowel urgency, stomach pain and anemia- symptoms that often
don’t mesh well with a long day on job. It is a chronic condition which
means it lasts a long time or constantly comes and goes.
There are
two kinds of Inflammatory bowel disease: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative
colitis. These diseases have many things in common, but there are
important differences:
Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the
gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus. The inflammation of crohn’s
disease damages the entire bowel wall.
Ulcerative colitis happens
only in the large intestine or colon. It causes sores called ulcers that
affect the inner lining of the colon.
Signs and Symptoms
Signs and symptoms include
bleeding ulcers, perforation of the bowel, obstruction of the bowel from
scarring, perianal disease and a higher risk of colon and small
intestinal cancers. Other complications may include arthritis, skin
conditions, eye inflammation, liver and kidney disorders and bone loss.
Can we tackle IBD with diet?
Many people receive
information telling them to avoid entire groups of food or specific
foods. However, there is no need to avoid foods unless they worsen your
symptoms. Low residue diets may decrease the frequency of bowel
movements.
Diet can influence inflammation in Crohn’s disease.
Nothing by mouth, a liquid diet, or a predigested formula may reduce
inflammation.
Smoking is one of the main risk factors for developing
Crohn’s disease. Smoking also aggravates pain and other symptoms of IBD
and increases the risk of complications.
What are the possible treatments?
The goal of any
treatment is to reduce the inflammation that triggers the signs and
symptoms. In the best cases, this may lead to long term symptom relief
but also long term remission and reduced risk of complications.
Inflammatory bowel disease involves either drug therapy or surgery.
Anti-inflammatory drugs
Anti inflammatory drugs are often the first step in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.
Anti-inflammatories include corticosteroids and aminosalicylates, such
as mesalamine, balsalazide and olsalazine. The medicine you take depends
on the area of your colon that is affected.
Immune system suppressors
These
drugs work in a variety of ways to suppress the immune response that
releases inflammation- inducing chemicals in the intestinal lining. For
some people a combination of these drugs works better than one drug
alone.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics may be used in
combination to other medication or when infection is a concern- in
cases of perianal crohn’s disease, for example. Frequently prescribed
medicines may include cipro and flagyl.
In addition to
controlling inflammation, some medications may help relieve your signs
and symptoms, but it is always advised to consult a doctor before taking
any over-the-counter medications. Depending on the severity of your
inflammatory bowel disease your doctor may recommend any from the
following:
- Anti-diarrheal Medications
- Pain Relievers
- Iron Supplements
- Calcium and Iron supplements
I found this blog informative or very useful for me. I suggest everyone, once you should go through this.
ReplyDeleteInflammatory bowel disease