Inflammatory Bowel Disease:About
From Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Hey Folks! this Wikia page is dedicated to raising the awareness of inflammatory bowel disease.
this wikia is an aspect of my senior project which was to raise awareness of inflammatory bowel disease, as well as try to build an online community in order to keep with the fast advancing times. the idea behind this wikia is to allow patients, and family members of the disease to be able to use one another for support. its best to think of this page as a big online support group.
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[edit] Possible Causes
Though there is no concrete evidence as to the cause of inflammatory bowel disease, there are several theories.
The most prevalent as well as most likely cause of this disease is genetics. Specifically the NOD2 gene on the 16th chromosome. This receptor gene has been pinpointed as one of the common denominators among people with inflammatory bowel disease. Supporting this theory is the high rate of diagnosis among Ashkenazi Jews (eastern European). However there are many scenarios that are not completely in compliance with this idea.
IBD only arises in developed countries, as well as only in temperate climates. The northeastern United States has the highest density of people diagnosed with this disease as well. These statements have led people to believe that the disease is also somewhat environmentally based.
For a while it was believed that the disease was caused by mycobacterium. This theory was believed due to similarities of Johne's disease and Crohn's disease. Johne's disease is similar to Crohn's disease in symptoms, but was only seen in English cattle. Johne's disease was found to be caused by mycobacterium in the region. This theory has since been disproved however.
[edit] Signs and Symptoms
While these two diseases seem similar there are several key differences. For starters ulcerative colitis occurs only in the intestines, whereas Crohn's disease can occur all over the gastrointestinal tract. The term ulcerative colitis is indicative of the fact that ulcers develop in the GI tract. Both of these diseases are auto-immune diseases, so the white blood cells of the immune system work against the body and cause the problems. This further supports the genetics theory due to the fact that it seems to be a basic brain malfunction causing the white blood cells to turn on the body.
What occurs in these diseases, is that the white blood cells attack the GI tract and create ulcers. These ulcers in many cases eat through the Mucosa (GI lining) and all the way into the Serosa (muscle lining). These ulcers can bore holes completely through the GI tract and at this point if something were to pass through the intestines where this hole was, it could kill the patient. this also results in the passing of blood, one of the tell tale signs of inflammatory bowel disease.
Another aspect of ulcerative colitis refers to the umbrella term of inflammatory bowel disease. The GI tract, due to the irritation caused by the white blood cells, becomes inflamed and the swelling of the tract can become so large at times that it can cause blockages. When these blockages occur they result in intense cramping in the lower right abdomen. These blockages also cause incessant urges to use the bathroom, but due to the severity of the blockage, these trips will have no result. During what is commonly called a flare up, these urges can occur as frequently as up to 10 times a day.
[edit] Treatments
Currently there are no cures for inflammatory bowel disease, as it stands all that exists are treatments for the symptoms.
There are several ways in which IBD can be treated. Each with their own drawbacks and benefits. One of the most common treatments comes in the form of steroids. Although steroids for the most part are viewed in a negative light in the public eye, it does have its benefits in dealing with inflammatory bowel disease. Its usefulness primarily comes to play in the respect that it suppresses the immune system. By doing so it lowers the severity of flare ups because there are fewer white blood cells to do damage. The drawbacks of using steroids are however great. They cause massive weight gain, as well as "roid rage"; they also over long periods of time can wear on the joints in the body.
At certain points ulcers may completely wear through the intestinal lining, thus making the food processing function of the body completely null and void. However nutrients are still required to continue living, so under extreme circumstances a doctor my pull a patient off food entirely and provide them with nutrients intravenously.
Certain foods can also cause complications during flare-ups for patients, so at times they may be required to alter their diet going on a strictly clear liquids diet in extreme circumstances.
Remicade is an intravenously applied drug that is primarily used for people with arthritis, however for one reason or another it has been pinpointed as a major flare up supressant. the treatment is given once every few years and has been found to greatly reduce the amount, as well as severity of flareups during this time.
another venue for treatment actually comes in the form of nicotine. interestingly enough i personally have heard two accounts verifying that while using cigarettes, flare ups stopped completely. and when they quit smoking the flare ups started yet again. i have not found any research to corroborate this, however i have heard these two accounts both with parallel details.
when the disease has really taken hold, there are often times few options, but one of these last ditch efforts comes in the form of surgery. often times surgery is required to mend fistulas, or to repair the intestinal tract after ulcers have taken their toll.
[edit] Online Community
http://www.nabble.com/Inflammatory-Bowel-Disease-Web-Support-Group-f22158.html
the preceding website is a forum i have built to complement this site. it has three seperate sections. one for patients of the disease to share their experiences, one for the family, as well as a news section in order to keep people aware of new developments in dealing with the disease.
a great resource comes from the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. they are more than willing to provide you with information regarding the disease and have been very helpful throughout the duration of my project.
