Many people here in Orlando suffer with Ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, both are inflammatory bowel disease, but are two distinct conditions. Both can cause considerable pain and discomfort.
Crohn’s disease causes inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, anywhere from the anus to the mouth.
Ulcerative colitis is inflammation that mostly affects the large intestine.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term for conditions that cause inflammation and swelling of the tissues in the digestive tract.
Causes of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) occurs when the immune system attempts to fight off invading viruses, or bacteria.
The result is an abnormal immune response which causes the immune system to attack its own cells.
The Treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
The treatment for Inflammatory bowel disease has improved in the past few years. IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease) and its many complications can be treated using either medication or surgery when required. This disease is not generally life-threatening. The majority of those suffering with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, will never develop colorectal cancer. It is highly treatable when it is found early. This is why we suggest testing for this disease regularly.
Treatment may involve drug therapy and could involve surgery as well. Patients usually react well to anti-inflammatory drugs. This is normally the first step to treatment. But seeing your gastroenterologist on a regular basis and following the treatment he suggests usually will keep your symptoms under control as long as the disease is not severe.
As you visit your doctor make sure you are not shy about sharing your symptoms and flare-ups that you struggle with daily. Remember, your physician cannot help you with the challenges if you don’t share this with him or her. They can guide you to make better choices and suggest medications which will help you live with the pain of ulcerative colitis.
Do Your Have Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
Before diagnosing ulcerative colitis, your physician will rule out other possible causes of your pain or symptoms. He may request that you take a blood test, which could search for any signs of anemia and infection. He may ask for a stool sample to check for white blood cells. If they are present in your stool, it could point to ulcerative colitis.
Further, he may even ask you to schedule a colonoscopy, which is an examination of the entire colon. If polyps are found during the colonoscopy, the doctor will remove those polyps and send these specimens to the lab to look for abnormal tissue which could point to cancer. Having a colonoscopy is not just for checking for digestive issues. It also gives the patient a huge advantage in finding any cancer early enough to save your life. All seniors should have at least one colonoscopy every five years.
If you have severe symptoms that point to ulcerative colitis or any other gastroenterology disease, please contact your physician immediately. The physician may ask to x-ray your abdominal area to rule out ulcerative colitis. The x-ray can also rule out a perforated colon.
Another test which the physician may order is called a CT scan. This test can determine if your colon is inflamed. An inflamed color is a red flag for gastroenterologists.
Find Relief For Your Digestive Issues
If you’ve been dealing with digestive issues or acid reflux, or overdue for your colon cancer screening, now is the time to contact Gastroenterology Consultants of Central Florida. It just takes a quick and easy check up to catch and treat an issue.
Preventative screening and testing help detect diseases and conditions in their early and most treatable stages. For more information or to make an appointment, contact Gastroenterology Consultants of Central Florida.