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Chronic inflammatory bowel disease
contents
- Young people especially affected
- symptoms
- Symptoms Ulcerative colitis
- Symptoms Crohn's disease
- Symptoms outside the digestive tract
- Diagnosis by infestation patterns and tissue samples
- Emergence of CED
- therapy
- Naturopathy
- Psychotherapeutic treatment
- self-help
Young people especially affected
Statistically, about 300 people who suffer from a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (CED) come to 300,000 inhabitants. Especially young adults get sick with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, the age peak is between the 15th and 40th year of life. However, the diseases can occur at any age. In industrialized and urban areas, CED are more frequently diagnosed than in developing and rural districts, suggesting environmental factors involved.
Typical symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease are abdominal pain and diarrhea. (Image: underdogsstudios / fotolia.com) symptoms
Both diseases progress in spurts, but can also be chronically active. Based on the symptoms, it is difficult to distinguish between the two CED forms. General symptoms that indicate a chronic inflammatory bowel disease include:
- stomach pain,
- Fever, which rises slightly higher in Mobus Crohn than in ulcerative colitis,
- diarrhea,
- general physical discomfort.
The loss of blood in the inflamed areas can lead to treatment-related anemia with concomitant iron deficiency in both cases of CED, which in turn leads to fatigue and fatigue.
However, significant differences still exist between the two CEDs in some major symptoms.
Symptoms Ulcerative colitis
The main symptom in the acute episode of ulcerative colitis is bloody bowel movements, which are often accompanied by mucous congestion or diarrhea. It consists in the acute episode of constant urgency, sometimes with abdominal pain, fever and general physical weakness.
Symptoms Crohn's disease
In Crohn's disease there are especially abdominal pain, often diarrhea, which is then accompanied by weight loss and deficiency symptoms.
Symptoms outside the digestive tract
The inflammatory bowel disease is accompanied by other symptoms that are outside the intestine. Often there are liver inflammations in addition to the disease, which can also spread to the bile ducts. In addition, joint inflammations, skin manifestations or inflammations of the oral mucosa, such as those often occurring in advance, occur, for example. painful aphthae and stomatitis. Similarly, rainbow or conjunctiva of the eyes may be affected. Complications, especially Crohn's disease, include fistulas (tubular ducts between individual organs) and abscesses (encapsulated accumulations of pus), which often require surgical removal because of the risk of sepsis.
Diagnosis by infestation patterns and tissue samples
Both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease focus on inflammatory processes of the digestive tract. These begin in the rectum in the case of ulcerative colitis and progress upwards in part to the cecum. The inflammation is limited to the intestinal mucosa, it comes to the formation of ulcers.
On the other hand, Crohn's disease can affect the entire digestive tract, alternating healthy segments and sites of inflammation. Most commonly, however, it affects the transition from small intestine (terminal ileum) to large intestine (coecum). In order to make a reliable diagnosis, in addition to the survey of the complaints therefore a reflection of the intestine and a microscopic examination of taken tissue samples are necessary.
The chronic inflammatory bowel disease hardly differ in their symptoms and only by an accurate diagnosis can be deduced, which CED disease it is. (Image: bilderzwerg / fotolia.com) Emergence of CED
There is no single cause for the development of inflammatory bowel disease. Rather, several factors are believed that favor a development of the disease. These include a genetic predisposition as well as certain environmental factors, for example:
- Infections (often as a trigger),
- eating habits,
- Tobacco use and
- pollution.
Irritations in the area of the immune system also play an important role, as it comes in the intestinal diseases to autoimmune processes, which lead to defense reactions against the body's intestinal tissue. In addition, there are always indications of a spotty intestinal flora, with too few "useful" bacteria, but more often those that can potentially make you sick. In addition, true pathogens such as Salmonella can more easily penetrate due to inflammation. Finally, vegetative and psychic processes also play a role, which is described by those affected in particular as an aggravation of the symptoms and recurrence of inflammatory episodes in stressful phases.
therapy
Conventional therapy consists of conservative and surgical measures. Anti-inflammatory drugs are used as preservatives, especially corticosteroids and aminosalicylates, but also immunosuppressants for the suppression of autoimmune events are used. Partial reactions to complications (fistulas, abscesses) with surgery, to the removal of entire intestinal sections or the use of an artificial anus. In case of severe deficiency symptoms, the nutrition is temporarily bypassed the digestive tract.
Naturopathy
In medical practices, naturopathic procedures are becoming increasingly popular in chronic inflammatory bowel disease, including:
- probiotics
This means that medicines containing live or killed intestinal bacteria are specifically administered after a stool examination in the laboratory. - Bach nosodes
As an alternative, a treatment with the so-called Bach nosodes (after the discoverer of Bach flowers) can be tried, with a special laboratory from the own intestinal bacteria an individual-acting drug is produced. - Heilerde
Even a curative application of healing clay detoxifies and relieves the intestine. - High intestinal enemas
As a physical measure, high intestinal enemas bring relief to the discomfort. - Colon cleansing
Between acute attacks, colon hydrotherapy may also be helpful. In this intensive form of intestinal lavage, several sessions of water are flushed into the intestine and the abdominal mass is massaged to achieve cleansing of the intestine. This is to change the bacterial colonization of the intestine and increase the well-being of the patient.
For a noticeable relief and to promote the healing processes fango packs and moist hot compresses can be put on the belly, as well as ascending sitz baths with Heublumenbadeextrakt be accomplished. In the naturopathic practice, moreover, the missing vitamins and minerals are administered orally or as an injection therapy.
Psychotherapeutic treatment
Many patients report that increased stress leads to CED surges. Conventional or alternative psychotherapeutic treatment may help to better detect and process stress, but also help to clarify deeper-lying conflicts that may be related to the disease. Ultimately, various body and relaxation-oriented procedures, ideally coupled with breathing exercises, can lead to a general improvement in well-being, and thus alleviate the suffering.
Nicotine is one of the major causes of inflammatory bowel disease. The waiver of tobacco products is urgently required for CED sufferers. (Image: Ralf-Geithe / fotolia.com) self-help
Stress prevention is one of the basic principles that help to minimize CED thrusts in chronic inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, the following hints can help to promote the healing process:
- Food intolerances
In the case of a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, it should be clarified whether there is food intolerance, for example a milk intolerance. By consistently avoiding dairy products, the healing process is promoted. This also applies to other food allergies and intolerances. Milieu therapy users (including Enderlein's method) generally advise against giving up cow's milk products, chicken protein and pork in chronic diseases. - Right nutrition
A fiber-free or even liquid food is advised in an acute episode. So-called astronaut food is suitable to relieve the inflamed intestine. In the event of extreme relapse, a hospital should be visited to ensure that the food supply is infused. Consistent nutritional recommendations are currently neither conventional nor naturopathic. - protection
If a condition of physical exhaustion occurs due to the intestinal disease or persistent diarrhea and abdominal pain, it is advised to observe bed rest. - Refrain from smoking
Nicotine increases the risk of a new push in Crohn's disease. Therefore, patients with a chronic inflammatory bowel urgently should give up smoking.
Patients suffering from CED diseases such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis also find help with the German Crohn's Disease / Colitis Ulcerosa Association (DCCV) e.V., which provide extensive information and contact information on self-help groups on their website. (jvs, fp, ok, updated on 25.08.2018)