0 What's Your Knowledge of Digestive Health?

Did you know that the surface area of your gastrointestinal tract (GI) is estimated to be the size of a football field? It is also a significant part of your immune system, helping to protect organs and organ lining from foreign particles. However, sometimes your immunity becomes overprotective and fights anything that comes in contact with your digestive tract, even your own organs. That may lead to various auto-immune conditions and one of them is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis. Even though most people can lead a good lifestyle and maintain nutritional balance, persistent flare-ups, discomfort and consecutive bad days requiring medical attention and medications can disrupt that balance.

According to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, about 1.4 million people in the U.S. have either Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis, and about 10% of cases have overlapping conditions. Both diseases exhibit very similar symptoms, some of which are abdominal cramping and/or pain, frequent bowel urgency, and sometimes rectal bleeding. With Crohn’s Disease, the inflammation may occur anywhere along the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus, most often affecting the lower part of the small intestines. With Ulcerative Colitis, on the other hand, the large intestine is typically the only site that is affected.IBD requires a professional consultation with all the necessary tests performed; see your doctor should you suspect symptoms of either case. For more information on management, treatment and how to sustain a balanced life, visit the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.

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