IBD and gut inflammation

The term IBD mainly covers two conditions, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, whose principal feature is long-term inflammation of the intestines. The protracted inflammation eventually damages the tissue of the gut.

The main difference between these conditions is that Crohn's disease can occur anywhere in the gut between the mouth and the anus, while ulcerative colitis affects the colon and rectum.

According to 2015 survey data in a study, about 3 million adults in the United States have reported ever having had a diagnosis of IBD.

This figure suggests that at least 1.3 percent of the U.S. adult population has IBD, which often occurs with other illnesses and results in poor quality of life and "complications requiring hospitalizations and surgical procedures."

The main symptoms of IBD are abdominal pain and diarrhea. People with ulcerative colitis can also experience bleeding through the anus.

The risk factors for IBD include "genetic predisposition and factors that alter gut microbiota, such as antibiotics," note the study authors.

For a while, experts thought that IBD was a " classic autoimmune" disease, wherein the immune system attacks the tissue of the gut as if it were a threat similar to that of disease-causing viruses and bacteria.

More recently, however, other explanations about the origins of IBD have emerged, and there is a growing view that Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are "complex barrier disorders."

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                         FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/           

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7 Things Coughing Can Do to Your Body

A cough can be described as a rapid expulsion of air from the lungs to clear the throat and airways of mucus, foreign particles, fluids, microbes, and various irritants. In a 2013 review, it was found that the average cough lasts around 18 days. Any cough that lasts for more than eight weeks can be regarded as chronic and it is therefore advised that you seek medical help. Yet despite the advice, many people let a persistent cough go untreated for too long. Here are seven signs that indicate your cough is symptomatic of something more serious.

 

Structural damage

A cough can affect your health in unexpected ways. It may indicate illnesses like tuberculosis (TB) and some cancers. In addition, a chronic cough can also cause social embarrassment, interfere with sleep patterns, and cause headaches and urinary incontinence. But it doesn't just stop there! Violent, persistent coughing can actually cause 'structural' damage to your body. Let's take a look at 7 such situations: 

1. Muscular pain

Persistent coughing can lead to chronic muscular pain. So every time you have a coffee fit, strong pressure is generated which can strain muscles, causing pain.

2. Cracked ribs

Rib fractures which are caused by chronic coughing generally occur in women. The middle ribs along the side are mostly affected. One of the risk factors is lower bone density. But a cough-induced rib fracture is possible and can happen in people with normal bone density. 
3. Damage to small blood vessels
A violent coughing fit may cause fine blood vessels, such as in the anus and nose, to burst, which can lead to a hemorrhage. 

4. Rupture of the diaphragm

During the expiratory phase of a cough, the diaphragm contracts. During forced respiratory movements, the diaphragm is pushed upward while the ribs are pushed inward and downward. Consequently, this opposing action can at times result in diaphragmatic rupture. 
5. Abdominal hernia 
While damage to the abdominal wall after coughing is rare, it may require surgical intervention. Abdominal herniation and abdominal muscle tears have been reported. However, abdominal muscle tears are difficult to detect and mostly occur in patients who suffer from chronic bronchitis. Yet, abdominal hernias which are generally caused by a cough are easier to detect.

6. Tissue damage in the throat

Persistent coughing can cause throat infections. This can lead to an infection risk to other parts of the body. Inflammation in the tissues of the throat may also be caused by a chronic cough. 
7. Coughing up blood
Known as hemoptysis, coughing up small amounts of bright red blood or frothy blood-streaked saliva and phlegm indicates that blood from your lungs is due to a prolonged coughing or a chest infection. 

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                             PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/   

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Crohn's and colitis: What's the difference?

 Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a group of intestinal conditions, affecting your digestive tract.

IBD primarily consists of two long-term disorders that involve inflammation of the gut - ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Difference between Crohn's disease and  ulcerative colitis 
While Crohn's disease affects the small intestine and large intestine, it can also affect the mouth, esophagus, stomach and the anus. Ulcerative colitis primarily affects the colon and the rectum.

Both the conditions can be debilitating and sometimes leads to life-threatening complications.
Inflammatory bowel disease can affect people of any age, but individuals between the ages of 15 and 40 are more prone to it.

Signs and symptoms of IBD

Although ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease affect people differently, both may show any of the following symptoms:

• Abdominal pain and cramping
• Swelling in the tummy
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Rectal bleeding or blood in stool
• Muscle spasms in the region of the pelvis
• Weight loss
• Fever and fatigue
• loss of appetite

Depending on the severity of inflammation and where it occurs, symptoms may vary among patients.

Causes

Because IBD is a complex disease, the exact cause remains unclear. Doctors believe there are a few things that may play a role in the development of the disease - genetics, problems with the immune system.

Is there a cure for IBD?

At present, there's no cure for IBD, however, there are a number of treatments that aim to relieve the symptoms and prevent them from returning. They may include specific diets, lifestyle changes, medicines and surgery.

In order to create awareness about these diseases - Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis - World Inflammatory Bowel Disease Day, or World IBD Day, is observed on May 19 each year.

 this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   
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New therapy wipes out cervical cancer in two women

Aricca Wallace knew she was nearly out of time.

For more than three years, she had suffered cramping and irregular bleeding, which her doctor thought was a side effect of her birth control implant, known as an intrauterine device, or IUD.

Her annual Pap smears were always normal, so no one suspected cancer.

Except it was cancer, and by the time the 34-year-old mother of two had the IUD removed and was finally diagnosed, her tumors had reached stage three and the disease was spreading through the lymph nodes in her abdomen and chest.

“I was told by a specialist that there wasn’t any chemo that could kill it, and that I’d be gone in a year.”

That was in February 2012. A few months later, Wallace’s doctor told her about an immunotherapy trial at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Centre, a research hospital just outside the US capital.

Wallace enrolled. Doctors removed one of her tumours and collected some of the immune cells that were surrounding it.

They selected specific T-cells that would attack human papillomavirus.

HPV is a common sexually transmitted disease, and most adults get it at some point in their lives. While HPV is often harmless, some strains can cause genital warts or lead to cancers of the cervix, anus, head, neck and throat.

Some 70 per cent of cervical cancers are caused by HPV types 16 and 18.

The idea behind HPV-targeted adoptive T-cell therapy is to boost the body’s immune response to HPV in the tumours.

Wallace first endured a week-long regimen of strong chemotherapy to knock out her immune system. Then came the infusion, which aimed to rebuild her defences with more than 100 billion of her lab-grown T-cells that targeted the tumours.

After that, she was given two doses of aldesleukin, which helps the immune cells grow. 

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.

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Surgeries for Rectal Cancer

Surgery is a common treatment for rectal cancer. The type of operation used to remove the rectal cancer depends on the extent and location of the cancer. If the rectal cancer is located well above the anus, a low anterior resection (LAR) can be performed. This operation allows the patient to keep anal function and pass stools in a normal manner. If the rectal cancer is located close to the anus, sometimes the anus must be removed with the cancer in an operation called an abdominoperineal resection (APR). The patient must then use a colostomy bag. A colostomy is an opening where the large intestine is attached to the abdominal wall. A replaceable bag that encloses the colostomy is worn by the patient to collect stool.

Low Anterior Resection Surgery (LAR)

LAR is a common treatment for rectal cancer when the cancer is located well above the anus. During a LAR, the entire rectal cancer, adjacent normal rectal tissue and surrounding lymph nodes are removed through an incision made in the lower abdomen. After the cancer is removed, the cut ends of the rectum are sewn back together. The passage of stool from the large intestine through the anus is therefore preserved. If the cancer is lower in the rectum, the cut end of the large bowel may be attached directly to the anus, a procedure known as colo-anal anastomosis. When a colo-anal anastomosis is performed, some surgeons will create a temporary colostomy in order to protect the delicate surgical connection of the large intestine to the anus. After the patient has recovered from the surgery, the temporary colostomy is removed and stool is again passed normally through the large intestine. The colon is resewn to the anus.

Despite undergoing complete surgical removal of rectal cancer, some patients may experience recurrence of their cancer. It is important to realize that some patients with rectal cancer already have small amounts of cancer that have spread outside the rectum and were not removed by surgery. These cancer cells are referred to as micrometastases and cannot be detected with any of the currently available tests. The presence of these microscopic areas of cancer causes the relapses that follow treatment with surgery alone. External beam radiation therapy and chemotherapy can be used to cleanse the body of micrometastases in order to improve the cure rate achieved with surgical removal of the cancer.

Patients undergoing an LAR may experience lower abdominal pain after the operation. Less common complications related to surgery include bleeding, infection and temporary difficulty with emptying the bladder.

Abdominoperineal Resection Surgery (APR)

APR is a common treatment for rectal cancer when the cancer is located close to the anus. During an APR, the entire rectal cancer, adjacent normal rectum, rectal sphincter or anus, and surrounding lymph nodes are removed through an incision in the lower abdomen and the perineum (the skin around the anus). Following removal of the cancer, the incision in the perineum is sewn shut. The cut end of the large intestine is attached to an opening in the abdominal wall, called a colostomy. This opening is covered with a bag, which serves to collect stool as it passes through the large intestine and through the colostomy. In contrast to a LAR, the colostomy is permanent.

Many patients would like to avoid a permanent colostomy. When the rectal cancer lies close to the sphincter or anus, an APR is typically recommended. In some instances, a more limited surgery can be used to avoid a colostomy, or radiation therapy can be used to shrink the rectal cancer prior to surgery allowing the patient to maintain control of bowel function. Some small rectal cancers that lie close to the anus can be removed with less extensive surgery called a local excision.

Patients undergoing an APR may experience lower abdominal pain after the operation. Less common complications related to surgery include bleeding, infection, slow wound healing and temporary difficulty with emptying the bladder. Some men may experience sexual dysfunction after surgery.

Sphincter-Sparing Treatment

The rectal sphincter is the circular muscle that controls defecation. If damaged, patients lose control of bowel function. Sphincter-sparing treatment refers to cancer therapy that avoids removal of the anal sphincter for rectal cancers that lie close to the anus. The standard surgical procedure used to remove rectal cancer that lies close to the anus is an abdominoperineal resection (APR). Following an APR procedure, the anus is removed with the cancer, and the cut end of the large bowel is attached to the abdominal wall to form a colostomy. The colostomy is covered by a bag, which collects stool as it empties from the bowel. Because of the inconvenience of a colostomy, physicians are using sphincter-sparing treatments that allow the patient to preserve function of the anus. Sphincter-sparing treatment for rectal cancer involves limited surgery, often followed by a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The limited surgery is designed to remove the cancer and a small rim of normal bowel, but not the anus. The surgery may be performed through the anus (transanal excision) or through the coccyx (transcoccygeal) or the tailbone. A transanal excision can be performed for small cancers that lie close (within 2 inches) to the anus. Other small cancers higher in the rectum can be removed with a transcoccygeal excision.

Local Excision

Limited surgery can be performed to remove the cancer and preserve the anus and prevent the complications that may occur with more extensive LAR or APR surgeries. The limited surgery is designed to remove the cancer and a small rim of normal bowel, but not the anus. The surgery may be performed through the anus (transanal excision) or through the coccyx (transcoccygeal) or the tailbone. A transanal excision can be performed for small cancers that lie close (typically within 2 inches) to the anus. Other small cancers higher in the rectum can be removed with a transcoccygeal excision.

For limited surgery to be effective, the entire cancer with a rim of normal tissue must be removed. Patients with cancers that are larger, more deeply invading, or appear aggressive under the microscope are better treated with traditional surgery. In order to improve the cure rates after limited surgery alone, a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy is often administered for cancers that have grown into the muscular wall of the rectum.

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

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