Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Blog

MizPee.com is a web site devoted to finding the best toilets. You can look up a toilet near you -- from your cell phone! You can also rate toilets, add toilets to their list, and answer loo trivia questions. The service is available for cities in California, New York, Texas, Florida, Washington DC, and several others. Plus, if you're taking a trip to Europe, they have a web site for that too.

Researchers have discovered that there are as many as 30 genes involved in the development of Crohn's disease -- and there could be more. Most of us with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have relatives with the disorder, but no one was really sure how the disease traveled in families. It appeared to be very complex. That is proving to be very true, as the genes that are responsible for the development of Crohn's continue to pile up.

What you may be wondering is, why is this important? We can't change our genes, so what does it matter which genes code for Crohn's or ulcerative colitis, or any other disorder? The answer is this: treatment and prevention. When more is known about the origins of the disease, better treatments can be devised. Not only that, but if we know that certain genes make a person susceptible to IBD, and we know that something in the environment triggers the expression of those genes -- we may be able to prevent IBD altogether.

Source:
Jeffrey C Barrett, Sarah Hansoul, Dan L Nicolae, Judy H Cho, Richard H Duerr, et al. Genome-wide association defines more than 30 distinct susceptibility loci for Crohn's disease. Nature Genetics 29 Jun 2008. 1 Jul 2008.

A big topic in patient empowerment is patient safety in the hospital, sounding warnings about medication errors, wrong site surgeries, hospital-acquired infections and other perils that present themselves in a setting where so many people are so sick or injured. Patient Empowerment Guide Trisha Torrey has Do's and Don'ts for hospital visits. My favorite: Don't take food to your patient unless you know the patient can tolerate it.

Fibromyalgia is a complex condition that's difficult to understand, especially if you don't have a medical degree. Because it involves the brain and nervous system, fibromyalgia can have an impact on virtually every part of the body. Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Guide Adrienne Dellwo explains.

Food does not cause inflammatory bowel disease. However, during a flare-up, certain foods can exacerbate symptoms. Should people with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis follow a special diet?

How do you eat out at a restaurant when you have IBD? Are you going to be stuck at home, not able to join family and friends on outings? No! You can eat out. But, it will take some planning in order to ensure you can enjoy yourself.

We all have stress. Men and women will probably always argue over which gender experiences more stress. Do women experience more stress, or just handle it differently? Stress Guide Elizabeth Scott, M.S. teaches us about stress differences in women, and offers stress relief tips women can use to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Summer means long weekends, fragrant nights, and vacations with the family. When you have inflammatory bowel disease, summer does not necessarily come with the same anticipation it does for other people. But there are things you can do to take care of yourself and have fun this summer. Use my picks to help you get out there and enjoy yourself.

What's your favorite summer activity? Tell me about it.

It seems that parents are always preoccupied with the bowel habits of their children. I am no exception, and because I have IBD, I'm probably even worse than most parents. Is he going too much? Too little? Why is it green (or orange)? Irritable Bowel Syndrome Guide Barbara Bradley Bolen, Ph.D., tells us that constipation is a common, but challenging digestive symptom in children. She offers this parent's guide for easing constipation in children.

Did you think that there was only one type of ulcerative colitis? Not so! UC affects only the colon, but the different types are defined by the area of the colon that is affected. Symptoms can be slightly different between the different forms, and treatments can actually be vastly different.

More about ulcerative colitis:

• Ulcerative Colitis Frequently Asked Questions
• Top 10 Things You Should Know About Ulcerative Colitis
• The Difference Between Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease