Humanity is still rushing about in search of the answers for the eternal questions, like what the sense of our living is, how the human kind emerged, or what thing was the first to appear – a hen or an egg… In spite of the undeniable fact that the human kind does make progress and evolve, we do not seem to get any closer to the Greatest Truth in the world. Perhaps, it is not supposed to be accessible for the mere mortals. It, actually, looks like the more things we discover, the more questions they lead to rather than give answers.

 

No wonder, the secrets of the Nature are guarded from us day and night: we even have not understood our own bodies yet.

 

In spite of the infinite pains scholars take to find out the reason for the development of the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), it still remains a secret for them. We know how it happens, but fail to understand why.

 

The theories, suggested by the scientists, presuppose:

-         a genetic mutation, which is often inherited from the parents;

-         the malfunction of the immune system, which perceives all the bugs in the gastrointestinal tract as harmful (even those, which are, actually, necessary for the normal functioning of the digestive system) and kills them until the intestines get damaged too;

-         malnutrition, when highly refined, processed, and sugary foods cause an imbalance in the intestinal flora;

-         overuse of pharmaceutical drugs, which sterilize the intestines eliminating useful bacteria, as probiotics;

-         weakening of the immune system due to chronic coexisting diseases.

 

It seems that the body’s own immune system is, actually, the means, the offensive weapon and the trigger of the disease development. Due to the scientific theories, it is body’s immune system that produces an inflammatory reaction in the intestinal tract; it, so to say, does not feel the limit and never turns normal processes and responses off.

 

Although inflammatory bowel disease is a name for a group of the diseases of the intestinal tract, all of the conditions cause practically the same symptoms. The most commonly occurring ones are abdominal pain and cramps, bloody diarrhea (sometimes interchanging with constipation), fever, loss of appetite, weight loss (due to the disruption of the process of nutrients absorption from food), fatigue, anemia, dehydration and severe urgency to have a bowel movement. In kids

IBD can cause delay in the growth and puberty due to malnutrition.

 

IBD can also cause bleeding from the ulcers, widening of the colon, and may lead to rupture of the bowel, as a result of which harmful bacteria can enter the blood stream causing the symptoms, consequences, and complications in the other parts of the body (liver, kidney, skin, etc.). Inflammatory bowel disease may provoke eyes inflammation, skin disorders, bone loss, cancer, and very often arthritis.

 

Unfortunately, inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic condition; however, the severity and frequency of its symptoms may vary throughout one’s life. Moreover, these days there are various ways of fighting and coping with this health disorder. Medicines and surgery are available to help some patients, while others may benefit from simple lifestyle changes and nutritional therapy.

 

Ivanna