Inflammatory Bowel Disease

IBD: How a class of killer T cells goes rogue in inflammatory bowel disease

The very features that make memory T cells so desirable for vaccines – their capacity to live for such a long time and mount a stronger response when they encounter a microbial invader for the second time – may explain why autoimmune diseases are chronic and lifelong.

This common toothpaste ingredient could be wreaking havoc on your gut

Even if you’ve never heard of it, you’ve almost certainly come across triclosan. A highly effective antibacterial and antifungal ingredient, triclosan is found in all kinds of toothpastes, hand sanitizers, deodorants, mouthwashes, detergents, cleaning supplies—if you use household products, you’re interacting with triclosan every day. So it’s worrying that a new study, published in Science Translation Medicine on Wednesday, suggests that triclosan exposure could increase rates of colitis and colon cancer.

Why we all need to be proactive about our bowels

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a mounting burden on health-care systems globally.

IBD Academy: Treatment with 5-ASAs and Corticosteroids

Understanding the medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease can help you to be a knowledgable part of your healthcare team. Many individuals with IBD end up taking a whole series of medications before their doctors find the one(s) that work for them. There are four major classes of drugs used to treat IBD: aminosalicylates (5-ASAs), corticosteroids, immunomodulators, and biologics.

What Living With IBD Has Taught Me About Being A Doctor

aving a close relationship to IBD has taught me about the urgent need for medical advances and cures for the disease.

Why Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease on the Rise?

More people are being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis than ever before, but researchers aren’t exactly sure why. A variety of factors including genetics, weakened immune systems and the environment may be at play.

A to Z of IBD

When I talk about IBD I'm often faced with blank stares and so here is my A-Z guide to Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

A Surprise Medical Solution: Hypnosis

Major hospitals are finding hypnotherapy can help sufferers of digestive conditions like heartburn, colitis, acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome.

Could Viruses Attacking The Microbiome Be Responsible For Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

New research done in a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has suggested that viruses called phages, which have the ability to infect and kill gut bacteria, may be involved in the disease.

Explainer: what is inflammatory bowel disease?

The disease is one of a variety of unrelated but ongoing gastrointestinal disorders. Of these, some of the most common complaints are about gluten intolerance and functional bowel problems (when the gut doesn’t work properly, such as when someone has irritable bowel syndrome). Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are examples of inflammatory bowel disease. All of these problems have very different causes, although having one of them may put you at an increased risk of developing another.

Hope for People with IBD and Those at Risk

A cure remains elusive because we don’t know what causes IBD. However, the recent mapping of the human genome (the complete set of a person’s genetic information) has strengthened our grasp of how genes relate to complex immune diseases like IBD.

How hot peppers and marijuana could help cure gut problems

When our gut’s immune system starts acting more like that of the rest of the body, the gut gets inflamed and starts attacking its own cells. The end result is illness. Diseases like celiac (an autoimmune reaction to gluten) and ulcerative colitis (one of two types of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, the other being Crohns) occur when the gut’s immune system starts treating food, and our own body, like an interloper. These conditions often leaves sufferers in tremendous pain and at an increased risk of both malnutrition and colon cancer. But if researchers could figure out how to calm down that immunological response, it might be possible to create a treatment.

IBD Is More Than ‘Just a Bathroom Disease’

When people think of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, they usually think, “it’s just a bathroom disease” or “it’s just a bad stomach ache.” What they don’t consider is the multitude of ways that inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) impact the 5 million people worldwide living with these diseases.

Inflammatory bowel disease imaging: Current practice and future directions

The paper discusses, in detail the pros and cons of the different IBD imaging modalities that need to be considered in order to optimize the imaging and clinical evaluation of patients with IBD.

Inflammatory bowel disease: clinical aspects and treatments

Although there is no cure for IBD, we now have sufficient evidence that several pharmaceutical compounds are able to dampen the intestinal inflammation. This review provides an overview of the experimental studies done using monoclonal antibodies and anti-inflammatory drugs. Most of the results reported in the papers show that anti-inflammatory compounds can inhibit the proliferation of cytokines such as TNF-α and IFN-γ, but unfortunately have potential side effects, including vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea.

New Therapies for Bowel Diseases

“Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s are in many ways the poster child for which sequencing the genome is having a tremendous impact,” Dr. Xavier said in an interview. Equally important to improved treatment has been understanding how environmental factors like diet and antibiotics can disrupt the balance of microbes in the gut. Some bacteria are protective and keep the gut healthy, while others result in chronic inflammation.

Not Just a Pooping Disease: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Inflammatory Bowel Disease

These diseases have been known primarily as "pooping diseases" because many patients frequent the bathroom as a result of the cramping and abdominal pain caused by IBD. However, there are many aspects of the disease that are far worse than spending time in the bathroom.

Speaking Up About an Uncomfortable Condition

Bowels, especially those that don’t function properly, are not a popular topic of conversation. Most of the 1.4 million Americans with inflammatory bowel disease — Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis — suffer in silence. But scientists are making exciting progress in understanding the causes of these conditions and in developing more effective therapies. And affected individuals have begun to speak up to let others know that they are not alone.

The Parasite Underground

A shadow network of patients are trying to treat their own debilitating diseases — by infecting themselves with gastrointestinal worms.

Treating Disease by Nudging the Microbes Inside Us

We’ve spent centuries trying to kill bacteria. Now, scientists have shown that subtler approaches can work—at least in mice.

What’s Life Like With a J-pouch? One Woman’s Story

A few weeks after my ulcerative colitis diagnosis, I began blogging in an effort to inform other people who might feel unsure about life with UC. When I mentioned on my site that I'd undergone an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) surgery series, which involved three major operations to remove my colon and construct my J-pouch, the most common question I received on social media was “What’s life like with a J-pouch?”

How to manage pain in the anus

Symptoms of proctitis can vary greatly. One may first have only minor problems. Proctitis affects the last six inches of the rectum and can cause the following: pain during a bowel movement, soreness in the anal and rectal area, feeling that one did not completely empty the bowels after a bowel movement, spasms and cramping during bowel movements, bleeding, and possibly a discharge. Proctitis can last a short time or become a chronic condition (last for weeks or months or longer).

What I Want You To Know about Crohn’s and Colitis

We all know IBD awareness is important. But there are more reasons that I want you to know about it. I want you to be aware on a personal level, because for this single person, (and millions of others like me) it affects my whole life. I want to be able to go up to someone- a friend or a stranger, and when I say “I have Crohn’s” or “I have Colitis”, they get it.

5 Hot Topics in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research

Inflammatory bowel disease research, just like clothes and music, is subject to trends. To give you a good idea about where things are heading at the moment, I’ve composed a list of five hot topics in IBD research. The choices were based mainly on my own research experiences, the research prioritization report published by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), as well as ideas found on patient forums.

The IBD Immunologist

The goal of The IBD Immunologist is to provide you coverage of the latest IBD research news and with the basic immunology background needed to understand it. The most exciting new research on IBD is focused on the immune system. This site will help you stay abreast of the latest information.

Ali On The Run

I have Crohn’s Disease. I’ve was diagnosed when I was 7, so I’ve pretty much had it my whole life. In 2010 I had several bad flare-ups, but I’m learning more about my body and how to deal every day. Despite having this autoimmune disease, I consider myself to be a very healthy person. I wrote an article for The Frisky about my life with Crohn’s.

Blood, Poop & Tears

Since I started this blog over 2 years ago now my life has become consumed with advocacy and raising awareness. I eat, breathe, and poop it. I am here to help, so please send me your questions, comments, hate mail…whatever. I found when I started this blog there weren’t a lot of other jpouchers out there willing to give the true story about their lives with a jpouch and an ostomy. I however have no problem making a fool of myself on the internet to help others. Call it my gift to the world.

Colitis and Me

Documenting the human side of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and how it has changed my life.

Colitis Ninja

I started writing Colitis Ninja™ for therapeutic reasons… it wasn’t long before I noticed that the little ninja wasn’t just helping me, but she was helping many others learn how to cope with IBD. She became a symbol of hope and helped put a face on the invisible battle that millions of people fight every day. Rather than encouraging people to feel sorry for us, Colitis Ninja™ seeks to inspire others.

Crohn's Forum

Support group and forum for Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and other IBD.

forCrohns

forCrohns mission is to fund research that helps those with the condition today and contributes to finding a cure for Crohn’s disease in the future whilst making more people in the UK aware of the disease and its symptoms.

Inflamed and Untamed

Hey there! I’m Sara (some people call me Sadie), a classy, sassy, female living life with Crohn’s disease, a j-pouch, intestinal dysmotility, and autoimmune arthritis. It is my goal to show others how to be positive, and to own their disease instead of letting it own them, while educating them about Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (IBD) along the way.

Jenni's Guts

This is my personal story about my specific Crohn's disease. I talk about poop a lot. I cuss occasionally and all pictures are completely jacked from the internet...probably illegally. I claim no rights to them.

Let'sTalkIBD

"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it is better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." Those of us with IBD and ostomies certainly aren't perfect, but that is what makes us so special. Stay tuned for inspiration!

News From the Tail End

Elizabeth was diagnosed at a young age and has dealt with Crohns with positivity and maturity ever since. Now that she’s in college, she’s sharing her story of college life, support groups, and clinical trials - GBM

OstomyOutdoors.com

This blog chronicles my return to the world of outdoor adventures with a permanent ileostomy.

Ostomystory

Laura bravely, openly, and honestly about life with Ulcerative Colitis and an ostomy. Her videos include both helpful “how-to” demonstrations, personal experiences, and tips for dealing. Laura’s YouTube popularity even landed her a spot discussing ostomies on Tosh.0! - GBM

So Bad Ass

So Bad Ass came into being as a website and blog about Inflammatory Bowel disease and my journey with Ulcerative Colitis and living with a stoma.

The Bright Side of Crohn's

Staying positive, and kicking some Crohn's Disease butt.

The Crohn's Colitis Effect

My name is +Frank Garufi Jr. My son, Domenic Garufi, is 8 years old and has been battling Crohn’s Colitis disease since he was born. My hopes is that this site will bring about awareness for Crohn’s Colitis disease along with giving others a perspective on what Domenic goes through on a daily basis.

The Great Bowel Movement

The Great Bowel Movement is a social awareness movement with the goals of empowering patients associated with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) including Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, as well as J-Pouch and Ostomy, to embrace their disease, be proud of their experience, and spread awareness throughout their communities.

Uncover Ostomy

Uncover Ostomy is an awareness campaign sparking a positive conversation about the ostomy. We share positive stories and thought provoking images–dare we say sexy?–to spark this conversation. We invite you to share your comments and ideas on this website, on Facebook, on Twitter and everywhere that you engage with other people.

#PurpleProject

Running to the bathroom.. my journey to cure IBD.

Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America

Founded in 1967, the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to finding cures for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and improving the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases, collectively referred to as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). CCFA funds cutting-edge medical and scientific research, provides supportive and educational programs and aims to raise public awareness about IBD.

Crohn's and Colitis UK

Crohn's and Colitis UK is the working name for the National Association for Colitis and Crohn's Disease (NACC). Founded in 1979, the charity has been providing information and support, funding research and fighting for change by bringing together people of all ages who have been diagnosed with IBD, their families and friends, and the professionals involved in their care.

Crohns & Colitis

Living with a chronic disease like IBD can sometimes be discouraging, and you may feel embarrassed by your disease. Other times, contacting one of the IBD support groups or organizations listed below may be just what you need. You may take comfort in learning how other people with IBD are managing their condition.

Crohns.org.uk

The official website of Professor John Hunter - Everything you’ll ever need to know about IBD.

Healthy Gut

SCD Lifestyle is a can-do blog that focuses on the “specific carbohydrate diet” as a healing approach to Crohn’s, colitis and IBDs - Healthline

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases® brings the most current information in clinical and basic sciences to physicians caring for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, and investigators performing research in IBD and related fields.

Journal of Crohn's and Colitis

Journal of Crohn's and Colitis is concerned with the dissemination of knowledge on clinical, basic science and innovative methods related to inflammatory bowel diseases.

The Fecal Transplant Foundation

The purpose of fecal transplant is to replace good bacteria that has been killed or suppressed, usually by the use of antibiotics, causing bad bacteria, specifically Clostridium difficile, or C. diff., to over-populate the colon. Fecal transplant has also had promising results with many other digestive or auto-immune diseases, including Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, and Ulcerative Colitis.

Trust Your Gut

In this highly anticipated book, Dr Greg Plotnikoff and Dr Mark Weisberg show how to listen to your gut and to interpret symptoms as important messages that can help correct imbalances.

TylerPenn

Safe and Effective IBD Treatments.

Carrots 'N' Cake

While not an IBD specific blog, follow a girl with Colitis as she finds ways to enjoy the things she loves and still be healthy! - GBM

CDC

Neither ulcerative colitis nor Crohn's disease should be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a disorder that affects the motility (muscle contractions) of the colon. Sometimes called "spastic colon" or "nervous colitis," IBS is not characterized by intestinal inflammation. It is, therefore, a much less serious disease than ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. IBS bears no direct relationship to either ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.

KidsHealth

Inflammatory bowel disease (which is not the same thing as irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS) refers to two chronic diseases that cause inflammation of the intestines: ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Although the diseases have some features in common, there are some important differences.

MedicineNet

No special eating plan has been proven effective for treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). But for some people, changing the foods they eat may help control the symptoms of IBD. There are no blanket food rules. Changes that help one person with IBD may not relieve symptoms in another.