Archive for March, 2009

Now that you have been given a colitis diagnosis there are many challenges ahead.

I read quite recently that many sufferers don’t get the proper treatment that is available because they are embarrased about the condition. They feel too uncomfortable asking questions when with their doctor.  And it is the answers to these questions that will make the difference to their daily experiences and ease their anxieties.

The amount of discomfort that I experienced when I was diagnosed was bad enough. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to suffer in silence. To suffer without the mediaction that is available. To suffer without the general info that a doctor can provide.

I have countered this problem by providing the answers to make someone suffering from colitis aware of all the strategies that I used to make my daily experience easier.

So, if you are somewhat embarrased or feel uncomfortable talking about colitis and how it affects you,  go to The Colitis Experience  and  find the answers you want.

You don’t have to sit in silence and suffer.

It is a question asked frequently by those who have experienced some bowel problem and thankfully for the majority, they will not have ulcerative colitis. For the unfortunate few, and the numbers are growing every year, to be diagnosed with the disease will change their life though to what degree can only be determined by the passage of time.

The disease causes ulceration of the large bowel. This may only be located on a few inches at the end of the bowel, often referred to as proctitis, or the ulceration may be more extensive within the left hand side (descending) of the colon. A test known as a colonoscopy will determine the extent of the ulceration and perhaps how severe the attack will be.

The main symptom of colitis is frequent, watery diarrhoea that can have blood and/or mucus in it. The more severe cases can witness very bloody stools. There will be associated abdominal pain when passing stools. Depending on the ferocity of the colitis relapse, the number of times of having to go to the toilet can vary widely but can easily get into double figures within a twenty four hour period during cases of a serious relapse. 

But there are also other symptoms to face other than the problem of regular trips to the toilet. As can be imagined, tiredness will be a major factor when enduring a relapse and this can be extenuated by a loss of appetite and a feeling of nausea. These factors together can create the problem of weight loss and an insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals. Medication that is prescribed such as steroids can produce side effects such as increased hormonal activity and if taken for a long period have been know to cause problems of inflammation of the joints.   

The condition, though once diagnosed is permanent, can fluctuate in the appearance of the symptoms. An unfortunate few can have almost perpetual symptoms though the vast majority of sufferers will have periods of relapses and remission. The periods of relapses can be a few days to several months whilst the remissions can last for weeks even years before the next relapse. During periods of remission, it is most common to have no symptoms at all and effectively achieve a normal life routine.

If any abdominal pain or blood is found in the stool, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible where they will conduct an examination and test. Often the symptoms the patient is suffering from is in fact inflammatory bowel syndrome, a mild colitis like condition that can be easily treated and kept under control. However, if colitis is diagnosed, then the patient will have to brace themselves and take, what for them will probably be a huge step into the unknown. This can be lessened by sourcing the knowledge and experience of a fellow sufferer and understanding the answers to the question “what is colitis?”.

Why suffer in the dark when you don’t have to? Why be at the mercy of symptoms when with a little insider knowledge you can make your daily experiences easier? This has been made easier by the valuable information available at The Colitis Experience 

Hi

I have a video message for you explaining exactly what is waiting for you to discover about how to deal with colitis.

Even after you have spoken to your doctor, there are always gaps in your understanding.  Don’t let these anxieties get the better of you.

Go now to http://www.thecolitisexperience.com and I will tell you exactly how you can benefit today to make your daily experiences easier.

I will see you there.

Michael

When someone gets diagnosed with any medical condition or disease, they will naturally want to know what caused it, why it has happened and if it was something that they had no control over or whether it maybe attributable to perhaps their lifestyle. Unfortunately, the causes of colitis do not fit neatly into any specific category for the simple reason that the medical profession does not have an exact answer.

There are many theories as to the causes and some proclaim to offer a miracle cure by undertaken “easy steps” but the truth of the matter is that there is no know reason why the disease occurs and subsequently, there is no medically acknowledged cure for it. Medications are available to manage the condition for sufferers whether the condition is mild or fierce and such issues as diet can be used to try and reduce the symptoms yet often such actions are seen by some as proven cures.

Take the use of a specially devised colitis diet for example. Some people have been drawn to attractive claims to follow a specific diet by eating such foods and eliminating others and very soon their colitis is “cured”. Yet there is a requirement to ask if the “sufferer” had in fact colitis in the first place. It could well be that they had instead the condition of inflammatory bowel syndrome which can produce symptoms not unlike colitis but in a much milder form and can be controlled by diet. Others who do have colitis and are maybe suffering a mild form, can use a diet involving the avoidance of specific foods that do have a profound effect on bowel activity. The symptoms may reduce or disappear but that does not mean the person is cured of colitis. It merely suggests that the person was intolerant to such specific foods.

Another common misconception is that high levels of stress perhaps over a period of time can be one of the so called causes of colitis. This again jumps to conclusions that are not supported by medical evidence. A period of stress can have many effects on the body and there are many different reactions. Often, a person’s bowel can be a weak point, evidenced by a healthy person having to go to the toilet when in an exceedingly nervous and stressful situation. An attack of colitis can appear during or after a period of high stress but that does not mean stress is the cause. The conditions for colitis may already have developed and a period of stress maybe the trigger for it to appear. 

Whatever the cause or causes of colitis are, and there has been some encouraging medical research undertaken recently, when it does occur it is a very worrying time for the sufferer. The secret to managing the condition is to understand the changes in the bowel and the resultant outcome. One of the great fears of being diagnosed with colitis is the unknown, the thought of what change to life will occur, how one will cope daily and whether the disease will be able to be controlled or whether the person will be at the mercy of it. It is only by using the experience of others that the newly diagnosed patient will be able to live their life without many of these anxieties.