Sayak Banerjee, Amity University Kolkata
Often young aged people experience stomach aches, accompanied by a loss in weight, repeated diarrhea, and bloody stools without any reason. These might be the cause of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and to avoid risks they must go to the hospital for a colonoscopy.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease generally involves the chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and might lead to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Although its occurrence is comparatively lower in Asia than in other Western countries, its prevalence is rising for a decade. People aged between 15 and 40 are more susceptible to contracting the disease. IBD being a chronic disease might not be able to be treated completely but it can be cured with proper guidance.
Doctors said that the exact causes of this disease are not known but it is seen to be associated with changes in diet, lack of physical activity, and social and mental health. Several medications are required for its treatment and most of the time severe cases need surgery. Without proper treatment, it can result in severe ulcers and bleeding, intestinal obstruction and damage, along increased chances of colon cancer.
In order to stay away from such situations, inflicted people are suggested to visit doctors regularly and receive an annual colonoscopy and take medications. In this way, the patients have managed the disease to ascertain a better quality of life just like any other normal person.
Ruijin Hospital, one of the largest Inflammatory Bowel Disease diagnosis centers, has set up a patients club comprising almost 700 patients. This not only enhances the communication between the patients and the medical staff but also improves patient education and health education promoting activities for the patients.
A 35-year-old patient diagnosed with IBD in 2005, described her experience as painful due to her yearly hospitalizations along with two surgeries. She had started recovering in the year 2017 with constant assistance from the medical staff. Now she encourages other patients to involve themselves with various physical activities for making their bodies stronger like her. Another patient of the age of 42 had his intestine taken out because of IBD. He said that, although it is painful and bothersome, by following certain medical necessities one can lead a peaceful life with it.
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