Inflammatory Bowel Disease Health Article

Diagnosis

IBD is first suspected based on the symptoms that a patient is experiencing. Examination of the stool will usually reveal the presence of blood and pus (white blood cells). Blood tests may show an increase in the number of white blood cells, which is an indication of inflammation occurring somewhere in the body. The blood test may also reveal anemia, particularly when a great deal of blood has been lost in the stool.

The most important allopathic method of diagnosis is endoscopy, during which a doctor passes a flexible tube with a tiny fiberoptic camera device through the rectum and into the colon. The doctor can then examine the lining of the intestine for signs of inflammation and ulceration. A tiny sample (biopsy) of the intestine will be removed through the endoscope, which will be examined under a microscope for evidence of IBD. X-ray examination is helpful to determine the amount of affected intestine. However, x-ray examinations requiring the use of barium should be delayed until treatment has begun. Barium is a chalky solution that the patient drinks or is given through the rectum and into the intestine (enema). The presence of barium in the intestine allows more detail to be seen on x ray films.

Treatment

Treatment for IBD targets the underlying inflammation, as well as the problems occurring due to continued diarrhea and blood loss. The use of alternative medicines in the treatment of IBD is common. IBD sufferers have used a variety of treatments; however, few controlled studies of their effectiveness have been performed.

Chamomile tea is used to treat IBD. Chamomile is known to have anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and antibacterial properties. The patient should steep dried flowers for 10 to 15 minutes and drink three to four cups daily. Chamomile can cause allergic reactions in those who are allergic to other daisies. Other antispasmodics include valerian, wild yam, and cramp bark.

There is some preliminary evidence that alteration of the kinds of bacteria in the intestine prevents or controls colitis. Intestinal bacteria can be manipulated through use of probiotics or prebiotics. Probiotics refers to treatment with beneficial microbes either by ingestion or through a suppository. Prebiotics refers to dietary changes that favor the overgrowth of beneficial microbes. Preliminary animal and human studies have shown that Lactobacilli and related bacteria can control colitis and prolong remission. Ingestion of the nondigestable carbohydrates inulin or lactulose as prebiotics stimulates growth of these beneficial bacteria.

In a related treatment, preliminary evidence suggests that ingestion of parasitic worm eggs eases the symptoms of IBD. Within two to three weeks, five out of the six IBD patients who ingested the eggs went into complete remission which lasted one month. The tiny, harmless worms cannot reproduce in humans and are passed out within a few months.

Ingestion of enteric coated fish oil capsules may reduce the IBD relapse rate. A small study found that patients taking fish oil supplements had a lower relapse rate (59%) than those on placebo (90%).

Seventy-two percent of ulcerative colitis patients taking a Kui Jie Qing enema (alum, Halloysite, Calamine, Indigo naturalis, and plum-blossom tongue-pointing pills) daily were considered cured, as compared with 5% of those who were taking anti-inflammatory drugs. Fifty-three percent of ulcerative colitis patients taking Jian Pi Ling tablet and root of Sophorae flavescentis plus the flower of sophora enema were considered cured, as compared with 28% of those taking sulfasalazine and dexamethasone and 19% of those taking a placebo tablet and the enema. There are many other Chinese herbs that are useful in treating diarrhea and mucus in the bowel. Sometimes these are effective when drugs are not.

Forty-five percent of ulcerative colitis patients on an enzyme-potentiated hyposensitization protocol (B-glucuronidase enzyme and 1,3-cyclohexanediol with egg, milk, wheat, potato, and yeast) were improved, as compared with 6% of those on placebo.

Nutritionists often recommend changes in the diet for patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Food allergies and certain kinds of food are linked with the increased incidence of the disease. Eliminating diary and wheat products, common allergens, often alleviates symptoms. The incidence of Crohn's disease is increasing in areas where people consume a diet high in refined sugars and carbohydrates and saturated fats and low in dietary fiber. Elimination diets or those restricted in refined foods have sometimes proved successful in the alleviation of inflammatory bowel disease.

Dietary supplements are generally beneficial in the treatment of digestive disorders. Some typical recommendations include:

• vitamin C: 4000 mg daily
• vitamin B₆: 250 mg daily
• magnesium (aspartate): 400 mg daily
• vitamin E: 800 IU daily
• glutamine: 3000 mg daily, taken between meals
• garlic, deodorized: 2000 mg daily
• deglycyrrhizinated licorice: chew as needed.

Other treatments for IBD include acupuncture, macrobiotics, cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa), slippery elm, acupressure, biofeedback, relaxation techniques, and hypnotherapy.