Archive for March, 2010

A colonoscopy is so important for those sufferering from colitis

This is not just to ensure the inflamed area of the colon is behaving itself but also to keep on the look out for any sign of the development of bowel cancer.

Here is an extract from an interview by Dr Richard Billingham of the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle.
How many people develop colon cancer each year in the U.S.?

Dr. Billingham: More than 150,000; nearly HALF of those will die from their disease. The chance that an average person in the U.S. would develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime is 1 in 20.

Is there an age group that is at greatest risk?

Dr. Billingham: Those over 50 are at higher risk, so it is recommended that colonoscopy be done every 10 years, beginning at age 50, to look for POLYPS, which are benign growths in the lining of the colon. Currently it is believed that virtually ALL colon cancer develops from these polyps. Not every polyp becomes a colon cancer, but we can’t tell in advance which one WiLL or WILL NOT become colon cancer. Therefore, when polyps are discovered through colonoscopy, they are removed or destroyed so as to prevent any cancer from developing.

How can having a colonoscopy prevent this disease?

Dr. Billingham: If everybody had colonoscopy as indicated above, we would be able to prevent more than 95% of the colon cancers which we see today. The risks of a colonoscopy are perforation (3 in 10,000); and bleeding (7 in 10,000). The risk of development of cancer WITHOUT a colonoscopy is much larger (500 in 10,000). It seems to people who have never had a colonoscopy that it would be a really big deal; the prep is annoying, but people are completely asleep and pain-free during a colonoscopy, and wake up after the procedure without pain.

Can diet influence one’s risk?

Dr. Billingham: In theory, high consumption beef or animal fat can increase the chance of developing polyps, and subsequent colon cancer. However, with regular screening with colonoscopy, removing any polyps which are discovered, the risk of developing colon cancer is near zero.

What symptoms might be early warning signs to watch for?

Dr. Billingham: Most people have NO symptoms until a large colon cancer causes bleeding or obstruction. For this reason, it is recommended to have periodic colonoscopy to detect polyps, which are the PRE-cancerous lesions, and remove them before they can develop into cancer.

So the next time you have an appointment with your hospital consultant, ask about the opportunity of undergoing a colonoscopy…it is better to be in the know.

Don’t forget to use Twitter to keep up to date on the very latest news items on colitis.

You can also access some forums to see what other sufferer’s questions and the answers posted.

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Just for explanatory sake…Probiotics are friendly bacteria which may potential benefit health and prebiotics are foods which encourage friendly bacteria to grow in the gut.

Recent trials have failed to show a dramatic benefits of pro or prebiotics in Crohn’s Disease although there have been some trials showing a benefit with long term use in Ulcertative Colitis.

Many probiotic trials use bacteria at concentrations which are vastly greater than those found in probiotic yoghurts and often with different bacterial species. Therefore, even if there were positive trials, it would not necessarily be possible to infer that commercially available probiotic yoghurts were equally effective. “Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital London”.

Now, as we are now into March and the harshest winter for 30 years here in the UK is now passing with some gorgeous early Spring weather appearing, it is the time to remind you of the importance of ensuring you are getting enough Vitamin D…
“Good health is not just about recipes and cooking, for eating food without thought to the nutrients your body needs can lead to serious health problems.

For that reason, I have chosen to make you aware of the importance of vitamin D and the knowledge that not enough can be obtained from your daily food consumption

For those of us in the UK, estimates of nearly 60 percent of our population are affected due to our limited sunshine. That’s the best source of vitamin D, but we don’t get the bright sun on a daily basis, even in the summer months, that’s needed to absorb enough UV rays. If we did, no more than 15 to 20 minutes of sun exposure about three times per week on bare skin would be needed to provide up to 10,000 international units a day from solar radiation.

The body will only absorb and synthesize the amount of vitamin D from the sun that it requires. It will stop when that time is reached.

Research indicates that vitamin D deficiency is implicated in heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, periodontal disease, calcium and other degradations of aging.

One cannot get enough vitamin D from food intake per day, so obtaining it from supplements may be necessary. Cholecalciferol vitamin D3 is the supplement to take.”

So with Spring approaching, try and get out and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine and also have a chat with your doctor about ensuring that you are getting sufficient vitamins in order to ensure that your body is fit enough to fight or trying to keep colitis symptoms at bay.

As anyone with colitis symptoms knows, drugs and diet play a big part of evryday life. Yet, what is the difference between a drug and a dietary supplement?

According to the definition set by food and drug administrations in different countries, drugs are chemicals that can prevent, prolong the life, treat other effects of a health condition, improve the quality of life, and/or cure ailments and diseases, or alter the function of any part or chemicals inside the body. These drugs have approved therapeutic claims.

Herbal supplements are not classified as drugs but as dietary supplements. The main difference is that they do not have approved therapeutic claims unlike in the case of drugs. Moreover, dietary supplements could either contain vitamins, minerals, herbals, or amino acids, all aimed to add to or supplement the diet of an individual. They are not intended to be taken alone as a substitute to any food or medicine.

Most of the manufactured medicines we now have once came from animals and plants. Through the years, chemists isolated the life-saving or life-curing components and separated them from the harmful ones. This lead to the further drug research and drug development that lead to the production of a different variety of drugs for many ailments and conditions from synthetic sources. But still we have semi-synthetic drugs, as well as drug that more or less approximate more natural composition. Since herbal supplements are made from a mixture of crude herbs reduced into powder or gel form, and later on packaged as tablets and capsules, there is a possibility that life-threatening or at least body chemistry-altering components are still present, thus the expression of concern from the medical community.