Crohns Disease, and Similar Symptoms among Other GI Conditions
One
of the biggest problems in trying to treat any illness or disease is first knowing
what the actual problem is.
Crohns disease, for instance, has very similar symptoms to irritable bowel syndrome
and other digestive disorders.
Because of this, it's very important to know what your medical condition or problem
is before trying to treat it.
This rule applies whether you choose to use conventional medical treatments or
herbal and alternative treatments.
Take
appendicitis, which has similar symptoms to other digestive disorders. It's caused
by an inflammation or blockage of the appendix, which is a small finger shaped
pouch which is attached to the lower area of your large intestine.
Sometimes
the appendix is blocked by fecal matter or other substances, and that can cause
symptoms similar to Crohns disease such as fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
There
are no known alternative or herbal treatments to cure or prevent appendicitis,
and the only modern medical treatment known for this condition is surgery.
Appendicitis happens most often in children ages 10-20, but it can occur at any
age. And it can be a life threatening condition within 48 hours too, so getting
quick hospital attention is essential.
Another
digestive tract disorder that's quite similar to Crohns disease is known as Celiac
disease.
This
is a genetic disorder that tends to affect people of European descent, but it's
also been known to affect Hispanics, African Americans and Asians as well.
Celiac
disease is caused by an intolerance of gluten products. Ingesting gluten products
such as wheat, rye and barley will damage the intestines of a person with Celiac
disease.
Symptoms
of celiac disease can be quite similar to Crohns disease and even appendicitis
in some ways. Abdominal pains, diarrhea - sometimes with blood, failure for children
to grow at normal rates, lack of appetite, weight loss, and mouth sores.
Treatment
of celiac disease, however, is a simple matter of avoiding gluten in your diet.
Ulcerative
colitis, sometimes referred to as simply colitis, is yet another digestive
related disease which is quite similar to Crohns. Also like Crohns, the causes
of Ulcerative colitis are not really known, but some specialists think it's caused
by a problem with the body's immune system attacking the colon.
The
main difference between ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease is the location
of the inflammation.
Crohns
is found most often in the small intestine, and the inflammation usually runs
deep into the intestinal lining. With Ulcerative colitis, however, the inflammation
is in the top layer of the intestinal lining, and is found more often in the large
intestine instead.
From
an herbal perspective, Ulcerative Colitis is treated much in the same way as Crohns
disease, because they're believed to have the same root causes.
The
point of this article is to stress the importance of being aware of the various
diseases and conditions that could be causing your problems.
Knowing
what's going on is always the very first and most important step to any kind of
treatment, management, or cure.
Disclaimer:
Throughout this website, statements are made pertaining to the properties and/or
functions of food and/or nutritional products. These statements have not been
evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and these materials and products
are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.