A Brief Overview Of ColitisWritten by Kirsten Whittaker
Colitis, more formally known as Ulcerative Colitis, is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It can be difficult to diagnose because of similarity of symptoms to other intestinal disorders and IBDs such as Crohn's disease. The main difference is that Crohn's disease causes inflammation deeper within intestinal wall and usually occurs in small intestine, although it can occur anyway along digestive tract from mouth to anus, whereas Colitis causes inflammation and ulcers in lining of large intestine. The inflammation is usually found in rectum and lower portion of colon, but it can effect entire colon.Colitis can affect people of any age, but generally symptoms start between 15 and 30. Children and teenagers sometimes develop disease but it is less common, as are sufferers over 50. The inflammation within intestines causes diarrhea, as colon empties more frequently. Ulcers appear where inflammation has killed cells lining colon, which then bleed and produce pus. Like Crohn’s disease, cause of Colitis has yet to be determined. The current thinking is that it’s a reaction by immune system to a virus or bacterium. People suffering with colitis tend to have abnormal immune systems, but what is unclear is whether this is cause or an effect of disease. It has been proven, however that Colitis is not caused by stress or through food allergies, however these factors may in fact be a trigger for some people already suffering with disease.
| | Get More Out Of Life While Managing Your DiabetesWritten by Brandon C. Hall
When I was first diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age of 21, I had not given first thought to living a healthy diabetic lifestyle. As far as I was concerned, a healthy lifestyle was reserved only for fitness junkies and overweight moms.I didn't know squat about benefits and overall happiness a healthy lifestyle would lead to. I was perfectly content eating frozen pizza, smoking cigarettes, and binge drinking on a regular basis. After I was diagnosed with diabetes, I had a lengthy discussion with my doctor that resulted in an epiphany, "Everything I love is killing me!" First, we'll define what I mean by healthy lifestyle. When I asked question, "What is a healthy lifestyle?” common answer seemed to be, "Don't smoke, don't drink, eat only vegetables and protein, and make sure to exercise every day." My first thought was, "You can give that crap right back to birds." I was 21, loved to party, and absolutely chock full of testosterone. The ideas, practices, and benefits a healthy lifestyle provided sounded great for managing my diabetes, but I sure didn't like idea of my social life falling off face of planet. Believing in power of moderation, I made some compromises with my disease: 1. Smoking I quit smoking cigarettes and only smoked cigars on special occasions such as bachelor parties, Super Bowls, or birth of my first child. That last part was a joke. After many years of searching, special occasions are only reason I can find to put nicotine or smoke of any kind in your body. 2. Drinking For me, this was a big one. I'm not really type of guy that likes to meet girls at church, and school was not really an option for me, but drinking was all my friends and I did. As a result, drinking alcohol (sadly enough) was a major component of my social life. From that day forward, I laid down some basic rules.
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