Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Inflammatory Bowed Disease (Crohns Disease and Ulcerative Colitis) are classed as chronic conditions (lifelong) with patients
having to take continued treatment focussing on reducing inflammation, relieving symptoms, and preventing flare-ups.
Crohn's can appear anywhere in the gastro intestinal tract from the mouth to the anus, and inflammation can affect all layers of
the bowel wall. In Ulcerative Colitis, the inflammation is exclusively in the colon (large intestines).
General symptoms of both diseases include abdominal pain, frequent and urgent bathroom trips, blood in the stool, and loose stools
and for the sufferer life can be challenging enough without the embarrassment that some endure when they have to explain their
bowel condition to others e.g. at work - it's not an area of our anatomy we talk about much!
It has been identified that diet can play a large role in these conditions with patients often being advised to experiment with
eliminating foods to see if they can find things that improve the condition.
Allergy testing is wonderful for these conditions as 320 potential allergens can be tested and desensitisation to the foods that
are a problem enables the body to deal with the allergens normally again. This makes a huge difference to the overall condition
and the lives of sufferers.
back
