Are You Increasing Your Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease With These 3 Actions?

Your gastrointestinal tract is the section of your digestive system past your stomach that processes what you eat. It is made up of your small and large intestine with a grand total of over 20 feet in length on average, and is how your body absorbs nutrients from what you eat (using diffusion) and the water, and forms the waste you eliminate from your body.

Conditions that affect this part of your body can make digestion more difficult and lead to a range of problems varying from minor to severe. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the term for a series of chronic digestive disorders that can be serious enough to cause serious complications. There are several risk factors that can lead to IBD, and some of those factors are the result of preventable actions.

Let’s find out more about these causes and what can be done to manage them. If you live in the Austin, Texas area and you’re dealing with the symptoms of IBD or other digestive conditions, Dr. Rajesh Mehta and his dedicated staff at LoneStar Gastroenterology can help.

Defining inflammatory bowel disease

This set of diseases causes pain and swelling from inflammation in the intestines, and as many as three million people in the U.S. deal with it (most often between the ages of 15-30). This condition can be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) due to the similarities in name, but IBS is a functional condition that can affect the muscle contractions in the intestines as opposed to the inflammation and possible damage IBD can inflict. There are a few different types of irritable bowel disease:

• Microscopic colitis: creates inflammation only detectable on a microscopic level

• Ulcerative colitis: causes ulcers (sores) and swelling in your large intestine (colon)

• Crohn’s disease: can create swelling and discomfort in any part of your digestive system, but often occurs in the small intestine and upper part of the large intestine

Causes and symptoms

The exact cause of IBD is not well understood, but the factors that lead to it include:

Genetics

Over 240 genes contribute to these diseases, and many of them do run in families, though it is more common among Ashkenazi Jewish people (Jews from central and eastern Europe). It is also more common among white people and is happening more in Asia, Africa, and South America.

Environmental irritants

A range of things in your environment can lead to this digestive condition, such as air pollutants, infections, and living in a higher elevation.

Immune system dysfunction

Immune system problems affect the bacteria in your gut, which disturbs the balance of your body’s microbiome (a condition called dysbiosis) and this is considered a factor in the development of IBD.

Regardless of the cause, you can expect to deal with signs like abdominal cramping and pain, blood in your stool, diarrhea, fever, fatigue, urgency to go to the bathroom, and mucus in your stool.

Factors that increase risk

Here are some things you may be doing that increase your chances of getting irritable bowel disease:

• Smoking

This bad habit can double your chances of developing Crohn’s disease, and while there is some evidence to suggest it can help prevent ulcerative colitis, the hazards to your health far outweigh any possible benefits.

• Diet

If your diet is low in fiber and high in processed foods (specifically high levels of fat) it can also raise your chances of getting Crohn’s disease.

• Medications

Birth control pills, non steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, diclofenac sodium) and antibiotics can increase your risk of Crohn’s disease.

Changes in medications, eating habits, and stopping smoking can lower your risk of IBD so you can avoid the discomfort and possible complications of these conditions. But, whether you have the signs of this or other digestive issues, make an appointment with Dr. Mehta and LoneStar Gastroenterology today to get the treatment you need.