What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

inflamed colon

Take away the water from a waterslide and there will be nothing smooth at all about trying to slide down it. Everyone likes things to go smoothly, but for people who have irritable bowel disease (IBD) the whole digestive process is rough. What is IBD? That acronym stands for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and it is when the digestive tract becomes chronically inflamed and causes abdominal pain and cramping. For these individuals, their bowel movements have a similar feeling to them as you can imagine sliding down a waterslide with no water would feel. An inflamed colon is unpleasant, and there’s no other medication then Pentasa to work towards IBD pain relief.

It’s also a misconception that people with IBD have more bowel movements. IBD pain is related to digestion, but it’s not exclusively connected to it. Some of them will poop a lot, but some of them will do it no more often than anyone else. Unless the beaver had Taco Bell. All joking aside it is true that some foods will make IBD worse, and that some people will find their overreaction to certain foods gets either worse or better as they age.

There isn’t just one type of IBD, and both Crohn’s and Colitis as well as ulcerative colitis can be classified as inflammatory bowel diseases. Symptoms of IBD include abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, and fever. Explosive diarrhea can be a real worry for young people who have plans to be out with friends all day, but fortunately it is not once of the symptoms people associate with IBD usually. Sometimes IBD can cause a person to lose weight, and it’s important to remember that not weighing enough is bad in the same way weighing too much is.

Turn It Down

Developing IBD is really unfortunate for people as it is not curable and for some people their immune system is malfunctioning to the extent that their Crohn’s or Colitis gets really bad at certain times. It is something you can live with, but only if you find a way to turn down the intensity of the pain especially, and to a lesser extent the cramps that come and go too. Some sufferer say that either can cause them to lose their appetite too because of the stress of what’s to come as digestion progresses, but using digestive enzymes is helpful for some if certain food types are what is making their IBD especially bad.

Given this is an inflammatory disease you would think that NSAID (non-steroidal anti inflammatory) drugs would be just the ticket to turning down the intensity of the intestinal pain because of IBD. The reality is that using Advil, Motrin, Aleve and other OTC pain relief supplements can add to relief for some people but for others it actually makes their IBD symptoms worse and they may have an even worse case of an inflamed colon.

This is something that your doctor may be able to test for you, so while using OTC painkillers to supplement an effective IBD treatment medications can be a good idea its something you should speak to your GP about first. A pharmacist may also be able to provide valuable information here too.

Hydration Helps

Drinking at least the recommended amount of daily water intake is something that IBD sufferers shouldn’t look past either. In fact, it might be an idea to get even a little more fresh water than this as a properly hydrated body means an overall better function digestive system too. Dehydration can worsen existing abdominal pain of any sort, and many times people are dehydrated without even being aware of it.

In rarer instances a person may develop colitis because of a viral or bacterial infection, and the inflamed colon is resulting from this rather than the immune system response causing inflammation. The overuse of antibiotics is a growing problem around the world, and the connection between antibiotic and worsening IBD is that antibiotics can interference with healthy bacteria in the colon. Last but not least a person who is lactose intolerant will very typically experience worse IBD because of the allergy and the way it causes the gut to react badly.

Lactase drops are a quick and easy way to counter lactose intolerance as long as you’re able to enjoy dairy in moderation, but people who are having strong IBD symptoms may find eliminating it entirely is helpful even if it’s only a temporary move.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The above information is intended to increase awareness of health information and does not suggest treatment or diagnosis. This information is not a substitute for individual medical attention and should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. See your health care professional for medical advice and treatment.

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