Ulcerative Colitis Diagnosis – Essential Information 

 
You will have undoubtedly have been bombarded with facts and figures all about ulcerative colitis and no doubt a thought is lingering in your mind as to the question everyone would like answered. “How did this happen?” You were probably healthy before being given an ulcerative colitis diagnosis, leading a normal life. Now you have a disease which can have very serious consequences, so how on earth did that creep up on you?

Was is due to your lifestyle, was it caused by eating something over a period of time, was it due to emotional or mental pressure that sought an avenue for release, was it due to many of these factors, was it due to a Western lifestyle and diet whether measured as excessive or not, was it due to being in a country of the developing world?

The answer is a communal “we don’t know, but we have some ideas”. More resources than ever are being spent on research to try and find the elixir to breaking the stranglehold that the disease has on those diagnosed. Studies have found that 15% of people with inflammatory bowel disease have a relative also with Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis. So that equates to 85% that have no link to a relative. Comparisons have to be made with other diseases to see if this figure is around the “natural level of susceptibility” or not. It is suggested that some people are predisposed to cancer or heart trouble due to a relative suffering from it, so I would not put too much emphasis on this by taking the percentage out of context.

There has been recently more emphasis put on gene research and it has been found through several studies that of the 30,000 genes found in the human body some are possibly more likely to contribute to the onset of colitis. It has been found that an ulcerative colitis gene encodes a protein which is implicated in maintaining the barrier function of the large colon wall. Findings have suggested that an inherent defect in this wall may predispose to colitis. Furthermore, five genes which predispose to colitis are involved in aspects of regulation of the body’s immune system.

So where does that leave us? Well, apart from requiring a lot more research, it does contribute to a growing trend of research findings that gene make up is becoming a much more important factor in challenging understanding into the cause or causes of colitis. It may take many more years before there is enough quality evidence to suggest that one or several factors are the causes, then of course more years after that before the development of satisfactory medication is available to sufferers.

Until that day arrives, those with colitis have to accept that it has happened and use, in particular, the knowledge and experience of others to guide and help them through their daily experiences and ease their anxieties. It can make the difference in so many ways. Making that difference starts with the expert knowledge at The Colitis Experience