Life can be tough when living with Crohn s disease as it is a chronic condition. Especially with the disease is marked by phases of relapse and remission, it requires a long-term management to keep the symptoms in check. Though the flare-ups can be typically contained using medications, some of the patients with severe symptoms or complications arising from the illness would require surgery.

Before we proceed with the surgical management of the disease, it is essential to understand what Crohn s disease is in case you are not aware of it. It is a chronic illness in which the intestine or the bowel have become inflamed or marked with ulcers and sores and is a part of disorders collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).

When does Crohn s disease require surgery?
Typically, patients who are suffering from complications of Crohn s Disease may require surgery. This may include the formation of a scar that is causing the bowel to narrow down and leading to obstructions, extensive bleeding from the intestine, perforation in the bowel wall or the formation of fistula or abscess. The fistula may be formed in the connecting area between two body parts that do not meet. Also, a condition known as toxic megacolon where the large intestine or the colon becomes severely stretched out causing the toxins to spread all through the blood requires surgical intervention.

What are the different surgical options available for Crohn s disease?

The surgery chosen for Crohn s disease is dependent on various factors such as where the disease has affected, how severe the disease is and most importantly what complication will be treated by the surgery. Here are some of the types of surgeries done for treating Crohn s disease:

Strictureplasty: If the small intestine is affected by the disease, it may show up in the alternating areas of the bowel. Strictureplasty is a surgical way of widening the narrow area of the small intestine into a portion which has been affected by the disease. It doesn t involve removal of the intestine.
Resection: This is yet another surgical process where the affected part of the intestine is removed. It may be required when the stricture has become elongated. The removal of the diseased portion of the intestine may be able to offer some relief from the symptoms.
Colectomy: This surgery refers to the removal of the entire colon, and it is done when the disease is severe and extensive.
Proctocolectomy: When both rectum and colon are affected, both these parts are removed by a process called proctocolectomy. When this process becomes necessary, the waste materials drain into the bag which is emptied every day.
Since, the surgical intervention aims to manage the disease, your doctor would be able to recommend the most suitable option as per your condition.

Crohn's Disease - How Surgical Management Can Help?

Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the lining of the intestine and the rectum. It is located just above the anus. Patients suffering from ulcerative colitis tend to have small ulcers in their rectum and the colon. These eventually flare up leading to diarrhea, bloody stools, anemia and abdominal pain. The inflammation starts from the rectum and eventually, spreads to the colon. Ulcerative Colitis tends to flare up and remit in an alternate phase. The remission can last from few weeks to few years.

Methods adopted to diagnose Ulcerative Colitis-
Ulcerative Colitis is very similar to an inflammatory bowel disease known as Crohn s disease. The only differentiating factor is the fact that, ulcerative colitis affects the colon whereas, Crohn s disease affects the digestive system and the small intestine. A doctor might prescribe certain tests such as the colonoscopy, blood tests, CT scan, pill camera, stool sample tests etc.

Why is surgery necessary to treat Ulcerative Colitis?
An estimated 40 percent of all Ulcerative Colitis patients need to undergo surgery to recover completely. The reason surgery becomes necessary to treat ulcerative colitis are the following:

Drug therapy and medication become ineffective.
Without undergoing surgery, the condition might increase the risk of developing cancer.
The colon has the risk of getting ruptured if surgery is not performed on time.
There could be excessive bleeding.
Toxic megacolon might set in.
Types of surgery available to treat Ulcerative Colitis
A procedure where the entire colon is removed is known as the colectomy. In case both the colons are removed, the procedure is termed as proctocolectomy. In this procedure, an external pouch needed to be attached to the stoma that collects the stools. There is another method known as pouch surgery. 

Pelvic pouch or ileal pouch is also termed as IPAA. This procedure doesn t involve permanent stoma. In this procedure, both the colon and the rectum are eradicated from the body. The small intestine is then used to form a J-shaped pouch, that serves as the new rectum. The pouch is then connected to the anus. The whole procedure is done via two surgeries.

What are the surgical complications of this procedure?

There could be an excessive bowel movement.
There are instances where an inflammation of the pouch is observed. This condition is known as pouchitis.
There could be a situation of intestinal blockage from adhesion due to surgery.
There could be pouch failure that can happen inside within 5 few years. This is observed in 4 out of 100 patients who are treated. In this case, the patient should go for a permanent ileectomy.

Ulcerative Colitis - What You Need To Know?

Excess fat cells in the human body can settle under the skin and cause obesity, Additionally, they may even settle in specific organs and liver is one of them. When fat starts accumulating in the liver, a condition known as fatty liver manifests itself.

There are two types of fatty liver disease alcoholic and non-alcoholic. As the name suggests, the former is triggered by excessive alcohol consumption, whereas the latter takes place due to other reasons. While non-alcoholic fatty liver disease interferes with the normal functioning of the liver, alcoholic fatty liver disease has specific symptoms such as jaundice, fever, spider veins, and increase white blood cells (WBCs) count.

In the world of Ayurveda, the liver is a pitta organ, which is absolutely essential for normal digestion and elimination. Therefore, the pitta dosha should always be in balance so that toxins are eliminated by the liver from the body. A liver disease results when the pitta is aggravated, which can be treated with the help of lifestyle and dietary modifications, in addition to Ayurvedic remedies.

The following are some of the Ayurvedic tips and guidelines that can support liver healing and reduce the symptoms of fatty liver:



Avoid fatty and fried foods as these can further aggravate pitta and heating and overstimulating.
Incorporate cool and non-acidic food items such as berries, pears and melons into your diet.
Eat a combination of steamed vegetable and whole grains such as quinoa.
Consume aloe juice in moderate quantities as it is cooling.
Regularly consume a mixture of 2 grams of long pepper powder and 1 teaspoon honey once a day for complete 1 month.
Consume a decoction of giloy (Tinospora cordifolia), 30 ml, mixed with a teaspoon of honey once a day. 7. Drink plenty of water to cool the body down and eliminate toxins.
Consume 10 to 20 ml of bhumi amla juice.
Take 1 to 3 grams of kakuti powder twice a day with water after meals.
In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Fatty Liver Diseases - 8 Best Ayurvedic Home Remedies to Treat It

Heartburn is a common symptom experienced by many people, but is often overlooked as indigestion. Besides making you uncomfortable, this can be a sign of a much bigger health problem. While the occasional heartburn can be treated with antacids, chronic heartburn can be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or acid reflux. Here are three important reasons you should not ignore heartburn.

It can promote tooth decay:The acid regurgitated might not necessarily stop in the esophagus. It can often also make its way into your mouth. When this happens frequently it can promote tooth decay and wear out enamel. This can also leave your mouth with a sour taste. Acid reflux induced tooth erosion can easily be prevented by the early treatment of acid reflux,but in most cases is noticed only after the damage has been done.
It can cause cancer of the esophagus:Chronic acid reflux that persists for years can lead to changes in the cells of the esophagus. This can lead to a cancerous condition known as Barrett's esophagus. The condition has no other symptoms can if left untreated can develop into cancer of the esophagus. Women are at a higher risk of this form of cancer than men. Though esophageal cancer is relatively rare, it is not something to be trifled with. The survival rate of esophageal cancer is very low in comparison to other forms of cancer. Only 15-20% patients live longer than 5 years after this condition is diagnosed.
It can lead to breathing problems:Heartburn is caused by stomach acid flowing back into the esophagus. If it is inhaled after regurgitation, it can worsen asthmatic conditions and pneumonia. At the same time, treating acid reflux with medication like PPIs can also increase the risk of pneumonia as it can promote bacterial growth and suppress coughing. Thus, when consulting a doctor for acid reflux treatment ensure that you mention any existing asthmatic conditions so that you can be treated with your lung functioning in mind.
In addition, acid reflux can also impact a person's health and quality of life. To prevent heartburn people often find themselves avoiding certain foods. This can impact their social lives and in turn make them withdrawing into themselves. A person's sleep can also be affected by heartburn. Hence, it is important to treat heart burn as early as possible and not wait for it to become a chronic problem.

GERD / Heartburn - 3 Reasons Why You Should Not Ignore it 

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common disorders of digestive system producing a spectrum of symptoms such as persistent and recurring abdominal pain associated with passing of motion, change of bowel habit (diarrhea, constipation, or alternating diarrhea and constipation), etc. without any apparent cause.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the disorder of function, which means that the bowel doesn't work, as it should. If one visualizes the bowel, it appears perfectly normal without any inflammation or other structural changes. In people with IBS, the intestines squeeze too hard or not hard enough and cause food to move too quickly or too slowly through the intestines.

What Are the Symptoms of IBS?

People with IBS have symptoms that can include:

Diarrhea (often described as violent episodes of diarrhea)

Constipation

Constipation alternating with diarrhea

Belly pains or cramps, usually in the lower half of the belly, that get worse after meals and feel better after a bowel movement

A lot of gas or bloating

Harder or looser stools than normal (pellets or flat ribbon stools)

A belly that sticks out

Stress can make symptoms worse.

How does Homeopathy treat IBS?

IBS can have significant impact on individual's social, personal, and professional life. Homeopathy offers proven treatment for the IBS which treats the Mind and Body connections. IBS calls for the treatment which should address the emotional stress, the stress coping system and the intestinal hypersensitivity. This is what homeopathy attempts doping exactly. The scientific and documented study shows that the homeopathic treatment helps achieve:

Soothing of mind

Slowing down of negative emotions such as anxiety, sadness, frustration, hyperactivity, anger, restlessness, etc.

Helping body's stress coping system

Alleviating the abnormal hypersensitivity of the bowels

Relieving the symptoms of bowel hyper-motility

Enhancing level of joyous state of mind

Individualistic approach whereby every patient is treated based on one's case

Homeopathic Treatment-

The Homeopathy medicine works at the deeper level, bringing the deviations of harmony among various systems of body back to normalcy. The homeopathic medicine establishes a good communication between the brain and the gut, thus ensuring proper relay of signals. The positive outcome of this is that the motility of intestines becomes regular and rhythmic, thus relieving complaints of either diarrhea or constipation or both.

Moreover, Homeopathy improves the pain threshold of individual, thus alleviating symptoms of pain and cramps associated with IBS. Homeopathy medicines work at deeper level of an individual to root out root causes. The two factors that are triggering causes of IBS are emotional stress and exaggerated sensitivity to food items.

Homeopathy has very well perceived the influences of psyche on the physique of an individual. Homeopathy medicines positively influences the emotions and thinking of an individual so that the person can cope with stress optimistically. Homeopathy medicines have proven efficacy to manage mental stress and its offshoots like IBS. Homeopathy medicines aid in minimizing food sensitivities and allergies.

Homeopathy and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

A stressful event like speaking in public, going to a job interview can give you butterflies in your stomach that may literally make you want to run to the bathroom. Stress affects every aspect of our lives including digestion. This includes indigestion, heartburn and irritable bowel syndrome. When put in a stressful situation, the body releases hormones known as corticotropin-releasing hormone or CRH. This, in turn, signals the adrenal gland to pump out adrenaline and steroids that help with the body's flight or fight response. Here are a few ways stress affects the gastrointestinal system.Here are a few ways stress affects the gastrointestinal system.

Stress kills appetite: Stress eating is a real problem that results from the contradictory reactions of hormones. The hormones released by stress kill a person's appetite, but at the same time, the steroids released by these hormones make the person crave unhealthy foods like ice-cream, chocolate or potato chips. These foods aren't easy to digest and can cause indigestion, gas buildup and heart burn.
Stress leads to ulcers: Ulcers are caused by bacteria, but stress strengthens the infection and disturbs the balance of hydrochloric acid and protective secretions in the stomach. This increases the risk of ulcer formation in the stomach. Once the ulcers are present in the stomach, stress can worsen the symptoms.
Stress alters the gastrointestinal pathophysiology: Stress can cause changes in gastrointestinal secretions and reduce the amount of oxygen available to the digestive system. It also impairs gastroduodenal motility and amount of enzymes being secreted by the pancreas. Additionally, it interferes with the passage of food through the intestinal tract and alters colonic motility. Stress also affects the absorption of nutrients from the stomach and increases the blood flow to the digestive system by four times the normal amount thus decreasing metabolism rates.
Stress affects irritable bowel syndrome: Stress in itself does not cause irritable bowel syndrome but can worsen the situation. This is because stress can make the colon contract and cause abdominal pain. These contractions are usually uncoordinated and can lead to constipation. It also makes the body more sensitive to pain thus increasing discomfort.
Stress lowers immunity: A large part of the immune system is housed in the gut. Stress reduces the secretion of enzymes in the gut and leaves the digestive system vulnerable to bacterial infections. By weakening the immune system in the gut, stress also increases the risk of suffering from infections in other parts of the body.

Stress & Its Effects on Gastroenterology

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