Here is something that sounds tasty and could have the effect of reducing the effects of colitis symptoms for some sufferers…

“Eating yogurt with blueberries may help protect against intestinal diseases like ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer, according to the findings of a new study.

The researchers tested various types of diets of blueberry husks, rye bran and oat bran with or without a mixture of probiotic bacteria. The results showed that the protective effect of blueberries was reinforced if they were eaten together with probiotics.

“The probiotics proved to have a protective effect on the liver, an organ that is often negatively impacted by intestinal inflammations said researcher Asa Hakansson.

They also found that when the berries were eaten together with probiotics, the content of butyric acid and propionic acid increased in the blood. These substances have previously been shown to be important energy sources for intestinal cells and to have a favorable impact on immune defense.

Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and polyphenols, which have an antimicrobial and antioxidative effect. The combination of blueberries and probiotics reduced inflammation-inducing bacteria in the intestine at the same time as the number of health-promoting lactobacilla increased.”

Why don’t you pop along to your supermarkey and pick up some fresh blueberries and youghurt and try it?

Now, I hope that you are getting a comfortable and full nights sleep. If not then read on…

We all know that colitis has a few choice symptoms that it creates in varying degrees of severity.

But what is the most difficult to deal with and how do you reduce its impact?

Mine was the knowledge of knowing that any major movement (and this could be only standing up) would require a visit to the toilet. In order to counteract this, I planned how I could reduce movement to a bear minimum, I planned what would be eaten and when, I planned how I would even sit or what position I would lay down.

One thing I did achieve was the abililty to still sleep most of the night even during the peak of a relapse. I would only need to go to the toilet once during the night. I managed this because I ensured that I slept on my back and did not move from this position. I proved that if I did move onto my side, this would antagonise the bowel and I would be sitting on the toilet within a few minutes.

It did take some training on how to remain on my back all night. But it helped so much in attaining as much sleep as posssible which is so welcome when you have a relapse.

Discover more how to reduce the impact of colitis symptoms on your daily life. For more info click on The Colitis Experience.com

There are people who suffer from poor health and diseases and rather than seek medical help continue to be at the mercy of symptoms and suffer in silence. If colitis is the problem, then it can actually be dangerous to health not to seek medical intervention. For the vast majority of sufferers, whilst they do receive help, it is important to ensure that they are taking advantage of all the colitis treatment available.

It is only natural that the sufferer in the early course of a colitis diagnosis will have concerns and questions that require to be answered relating to the impact the symptoms will have on their life, what exactly all the colitis symptoms are and how to cope through daily life, both during periods of a flare up and remission. It is therefore important that the patient knows, understands and utilises the treatments for colitis that will assist in coping with the disease.

When I was growing up, I remember my parents used to occassionally “fast”. I had no clue as to what all this was about and I when learned exactly what it entailed, it did not sound like much fun to a young boy.

Yet, after a long weekend of fasting, I remember that they would be singing the praises of not eating. It seemed like a renewal, a boost to their whole self, the process of cleansing the body to toxins. During the fasts, they drank a lot of water and a mix of honey, lemon and hot water.

I was reminded of this when I came across an article about how fasting can have very beneficial effects for those sufering from a variety of illnesses and diseases. Now, we know that when a colitis relapse happens, the intake of food can be drastically reduced, even eliminated for a period, but what about when a period of remission is being enjoyed. Ever considered that a period of fasting, just for a few days, could give the body respite from the demands placed upon it? It could give respite from your colitis symptoms?

Anyone who suffers from colitis symptoms should take a look at what is happening within the colitis community on Twitter.

It is great for up to date info and to communicate with fellow sufferers.

Go to Colitis Answers and start to read the tweets/info and perhaps you yourself can start twittering.

“A research article to be published on January 14, 2010 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. A research team from Canada examined the records of their ulcerative colitis patients. Those with at least 5 years of follow up had their data collected and analyzed, looking for any demographic parameters such as age, gender, year of diagnosis, and others which might identify those at risk for a more severe disease course.

The variables that determined severity of disease included a younger age at diagnosis, as well as a more recent year of diagnosis. It was suggested that perhaps those with disease at a younger age had their symptoms revealed more quickly due to more severe underlying disease. The year of diagnosis may reflect this, or be an independent factor demonstrating that even with the more powerful agents recently developed we may not be treating ulcerative colitis as well as previously thought.

Overall, this data may help physicians identify those at higher risk of severe disease, and tailor their care towards more aggressive therapies immediately rather than slowly moving up the range of available therapies. It will also help newly diagnosed patients have some idea of what to expect from their disease in the years to come, and give some predictability to a condition notorious for its unpredictability.”

Some great research for getting a better grip about our understanding of colitis

Due to the nature of colitis symptoms, you may feel rather uneasy, even embarrassed about discussing them with your doctor but it is something that must be undertaken for the sake of your health. Your doctor requires being aware of what you are suffering from to make a concise diagnosis and prescribe a course of treatment. Knowing how to discuss your colitis with a doctor is important.

Let’s just get something straight right now. Symptoms such as abdominal pain, blood, diarrhoea and tiredness have appeared for a reason and are not likely to dissipate in the short term without medical help. If the symptoms are not cared for they can, in some instances, develop into a serious situation where admission to hospital will be required. It is therefore essential that an appointment with your doctor is made as soon as possible to seek a diagnosis and then start immediately on a course of medication.
It is important when with the doctor to disclose everything that has happened to you. It is unwise to withhold information on the basis that you will feel embarrassed talking about it. You should be reassured that the patient-doctor confidentiality will ensure that your doctor will not discuss your case with anyone else, unless with your consent. What you reveal will not be new to them as they will have treated other patients with colitis.

Once you have advised them of your symptoms the doctor will probably wish to undertake a physical examination. This is necessary to gain as much information as possible in order to diagnose then treat. You should advise as to the range of symptoms that you are experiencing, their strength, frequency and anything else about your health that has changed since the colitis symptoms began. This is important in order to assess the likely extent of the inflammation of the colon that is causing the symptoms. Only with a colonoscopy will the precise extent of the inflammation be known but until that happens you will be put on medication to try and start the process of bringing the symptoms under control.

Make sure that you understand what a diagnosis for colitis means, how it will impact on your daily life and the medication that is proposed to treat the symptoms. Ask about each of those medications and any side effects and if there are any alternative medications. With colitis, diet and lifestyle have to be taken into account and altered not only when suffering from symptoms but when also enjoying periods of remission.

It is an anxious time when colitis symptoms appear and whilst you may feel embarrassed talking about it, the doctor will have seen and heard it all before and will require as much detail from you in order to give a correct diagnosis and start the medication. Before even going to the doctor, it is beneficial to have some knowledge of what is happening to you and one of the best sources of this is to learn about colitis from someone who has experienced exactly what you are now enduring.

“Pathology researcher Dr Nicola Eastaff-Leung reveals that people suffering Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis have fewer numbers of regulatory cells and more “attack” cells that cause inflammation. “All the food that we eat is foreign to our body,” said Eastaff-Leung.

“In healthy people the immune system has a mechanism to tolerate these foods and not react. But some people do not have enough of these regulatory cells and their body overreacts and goes into attack mode. That is where the inflammation occurs,” she added.
“Inflammatory bowel diseases and a lot of other autoimmune diseases are common in Western cultures but are rarely found in the developing or Third World countries.

“We need to look at our diet and also the obsession in Western countries with cleanliness and antibacterial disinfectants, which has gone overboard.

“Children need to be exposed to bacteria as they are developing in order to build their immune system naturally,” she added.”

I heartly agree with that last statement. So many parents are obsessed with ensuring their children are protected as much as possible from everything around them including bugs and bacteria. An immune system that is built up naturally through childhood will have a better chance to fight off bugs than one that has been suppressed through the over use of medication or protection.

A lot has been written about possible links between the consumption of milk and the incidences of colitis and Chrohn’s. Yet again a recent joint study between scientists in the UK and Canada found no association between dairy products and the risk of being diagnosed with these diseases.

And on the subject of milk, here is another, though slightly offball result of research involving a bit of horsing around but could offer some relief from colitis symptoms

It is all to do with mare’s milk where German researchers believe drinking mare’s milk may ease IBD! A total of 17 adolescent patients with chronic colitis and Chrohn’s who drank the milk were found to have high levels of “good” bacteria which are thought to have an anti-inflammatory effect as well as boosting the immune system.

Patients were given either 250ml of mare’s milk or a placebo daily for two months. Those given the milk reported less abdominal pain, less blood in faeces and needed less medication, though it is not clear why the milk is beneficial.

So off you go to the local stables and ask the them to fill a bucket for you. It beats asking for a barrowful of dung!

How about the most successful British Olympian of all time, Sir Steve Redgrave?

He also has diabetes to contend with but still managed to somehow win 5 gold medals. Do these rowing boats have toilets in them? They don’t look very comfortable do they? And in order to train properly he consumed between 6,000- 7,000 calories everyday. That is a lot of food to digest.

Yet he succeeded by sheer determination, focus, brilliant strategy planning and management, not taking “no” for an answer and a belief that he could do it again and again and again.

Now what can you learn from all this? Firstly by not relying entirely on your doctor for every aspect of your care. Take some resposibililty yourself. Ensure you are always aware of your health, how your colitis is behaving whether in remission or during a relapse. And perhaps even more importantly, you need to focus on the challenge in front of you, today, tomorrow and into the future.

Life does not stop when you have been diagnosed with colitis. When you are susceptible to colitis symptoms. Alter your lifestyle, plan better, but keep on living the best you can. Do not accept that the best of life has gone and from now on it will just be a question of surviving.

It certainly does not have to be like that. I am not saying start training for the Olympics, but colitis should not be the excuse or reason to stop living.