Hepatitis C and the Impact of Combination Therapy: Utilizing Copegus

For individuals who suffer from hepatitis C viral infections, there are many choices in treatment available on the market today. Often, as a hepatitis patient, you may rely upon the sole discretion of your healthcare professional to choose the right therapeutic agent for your health condition.

For many hepatitis C patients, the choice of therapy comes in the form of a combination of drug therapies, often using a drug known as Copegus. Manufactured and distributed by Roche, Copegus, when used in combination with other prescription medications, can provide some restoration of liver function in those patients who suffer from compromised liver disease.

For optimal dosing and therapeutic benefit, Copegus should be used with drugs such as Pegasys or other interferon alfa-2a recombinant drugs. Used alone in the treatment of hepatitis C, Copegus will not provide a therapeutic benefit.

Dosing of Copegus is recommended, in combination with other therapeutic drugs for hepatitis C, at 800 milligrams per day over a 48 week period. Using Copegus longer than 48 weeks has not proven effective.

As a Category X prescription medication, Copegus can not be used in the treatment of hepatitis C among pregnant women, or women who are at risk for becoming pregnant, due to the clear indication that birth defects are attributed to Copegus use during pregnancy.

In addition, those patients who experience complications involving blood disorder, suffer from anemia or even suffer from pre-existing cardiovascular complications, Copegus, in treatment of hepatitis C, may not be indicated due to the potential for decrease in red blood count.

As with most FDA approved medications, the use of Copegus, in treating hepatitis C as a combination drug, does not come without side effects. However, if your side effects result in abnormal mental processing, the development of anxiety or depression, the development of abnormal kidney and liver complications, or the sudden change in cardiovascular function, consult your prescribing physician immediately as this may be an indication of a far greater adverse reaction to Copegus.

As with any complication associated with hepatitis, the key to successful management of the health complication lies in the early diagnosis and treatment. While there is no cure for hepatitis C, using combinations of therapeutic agents can provide for a more beneficial outcome rather than using monotherapy. When considering a cocktail form of treatment, consult with your best doctor regarding the use of Conegus to treat hepatitis C when in combination with other prescription medications used on treating hepatitis.

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Diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis

I grew up in a family hell-bent on avoiding traditional medicine. I took homeopathic remedies for whater came up, from aches and pains to colds. We were taught that we didn’t need chemicals to make our bodies work correctly. So it was no surprise that when I started having chronic digestive problems in my senior year of high school, my mother shuffled me off to a naturopath.

The natural doctor gave me acupuncture, tested me for food intolerances and ultimately ordained that I should cut our wheat, soy, sugar, dairy, raw vegetables, fruit, and artificial sweeteners. After weeks of eating only rice, meat, and steamed vegetables and still having stomach pain and diarrhea, we concluded that it was time to visit a traditional doctor.

He said it sounded like I had Ulcerative Colitis, and then formally diagnosed me after confirming his suspicions with a colonoscopy. Ulcerative Colitis is basically severe inflamation of my digestive tract that causes everything from crams to indegestion and ridiculous stomach pain. At seventeen, he told me that this was a chronic condition that I may have for the rest of my life. He told me that if I had it for ten years, it would significantly increase my chance of getting colon cancer and he also told me that there was no cure. Then, he said that it didn’t matter what I ate. That the problem with my digestive system had nothing to do with the food I was putting into my body.

For a year I accepted this. I took medication and hoped that the disease that the doctor couldn’t explain the cause of would disappear as suddenly as it had come. Then, on one random night, my fiance looked me and asked when I had stopped being vegetarian, a choice I had mde a year and a half earlier. I, puzzled, told him that it had been the previous January. Then, he asked when the Ulcerative Colitis had set on. I told him that it was around the previous March. As I said this, I realized the connection he was making. Was it possible that my 20 year old, non-medically-educated counterpart had figured out what an allopath could not? So, I stopped eating meat. I also stopped taking the prednazone and sulfasalazine that I had been prescribed.

That was over two years ago. I now have no problem with my digestive system, and have been without the excruciating pain and bloating that had accompanied my disorder. It turns out that all I needed was to reverse a change that I had made in my diet. But, as people reliant on a medical system obsessed with prescription drugs, we don’t think about this. We don’t listen to our bodies. One of the most essential components of our health is the fuel that we put into our bodies, and the vast majority of the time changes in what we eat can make huge differences in our overall health.

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Colitis and Ulcerative Colitis: Symptoms, Causes and Help

At some point in our lives, we have all experienced what is commonly referred to as a ’24 hour stomach bug or stomach flu’. Gaining intimate knowledge of your commode during that 24 hour time frame is not a fun experience, neither is Colitis or Ulcerative Colitis, which produces similar symptoms, with the exception of no vomiting.

Frequent bouts of diarrhea, bloody stools, cramps and abdominal pain are symptoms of Colitis or Ulcerative Colitis.

Colitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the colon lining. This inflammation causes the colon to empty frequently, hence the diarrhea. Ulcerative Colitis occurs where the inflammation of Colitis kills cells in the colon lining and leaves sores, or ulcers. With Ulcerative Colitis, there will be rectal bleeding along with the above mentioned symptoms.

The causes of Colitis and Ulcerative Colitis can be trigger by several factors, radiation treatments to the pelvic area, certain antibiotics, and some viruses. The most common cause for these conditions however, is bacteria.

The processed food that we eat turns into a pasty substance and just sits in our large intestine, unable to move. The heat and the moisture invites bacteria to grow, which then ferments our waste matter, causing acids and by products to eat away at the intestinal lining.

The old adage, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, applies here. Adding more fiber to your diet can help prevent you from ever having Colitis or Ulcerative Colitis. Fiber will keep things moving along in the colon.

If you already have either one of these conditions, there is still help to minimize the duration of the flare ups.

Drink more than the normal amount of fluids so you won’t dehydrate. At least 10 glasses of water or fruit juice during a flare up.

Eat sparingly, eat only a few bites of plain food such as applesauce, cooked carrots or boiled, skinless chicken.

During a flare up, cut out the fiber from your diet. Eat plain foods that won’t irritate your colon. Do not eat anything that contains seeds or nuts, and no popcorn. These foods further irritate the colon and stop things from moving along in the colon.

If you experience any of the symptoms of Colitis or Ulcerative Colitis for a prolonged period of time, you will need to see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis. Your doctor may possibly prescribe something to work in conjunction with what you can do at home to help yourself through a flare up.

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Now UC Why People Don’t like to Talk About UC (Ulcerative Colitis)

First learning about UC was enlightening, yet difficult to deal with. My Father, may he rest in peace, had UC. He suffered a massive heart attack in 1988. About two weeks later when they got him stable enough for surgery, he had a quadruple by-pass.

What does this have to do with UC? Well, uc when one has heart surgery they have to take medications afterwards. His doctors told him that there may be side effects, but he would die without the surgery.

One day after the surgery, my Father suffered a stroke, and needless to say more meds were administered. Not long after that he started having diareah.

Well this diarrhea was so persistent, and bothersome, that more meds were tried. Nothing helped with that except doses of steroids.

So now, we have a moody individual to deal with. Why am I telling you all this? It seems that people don’t realize how much damage UC can do to a person.

To make matters worse, my Fathers stroke was on the left side where his artificial leg was. He now needed theraphy to learn to walk again.

When it came time for the theraphy, my Father had lost almost 75 lbs. This meant he couldn’t start theraphy until a new leg was made for him.

Then comes the psychological part of the whole ordeal of colitis. My Father insisted that he didn’t need theraphy, because he never had any in 1941 when he lost his leg. Thats when it kind of got funny too! Keeping his weight on was a struggle, as he did live by himself, and swore he was eating. Later , I found out that he was skipping meals simply because eating gave him the runs, as he was adjusting to all the meds.

So the next time you hear that someone has UC or a bowel problem, don’t dwell on it, but do understand that it is real.

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Hepatitis C 101: Simple Answers to Basic Questions

1) What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver, liver disease. The term derives from hepat- ( lt; hepar), the Greek root for “liver”, and the ending -itis, which denotes “inflammation”.

2) What is Hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is a type of hepatitis (viral infection of the liver). Hepatitis C is caused by a virus called HCV (= Hepatitis C Virus). HCV is a blood-borne virus that attacks the liver cells.

3) Is Hepatitis C infectious?

Yes, it is highly infectious.

4) How is Hepatitis C transmitted?

Hepatitis C is transmitted through direct contact with blood infected with HCV. Persons who inject illegal drugs are at high risk for hepatitis C. Transmission from mother to child during birth (perinatal transmission) or through sexual contact is possible but not common. HCV is not transmitted through casual contact, sneezing, hugging, food and water.

5) What are the chances of contracting HCV through a blood transfusion?

Minimal: Less than 1 chance in 2 million units of blood.

6) What happens after exposure to HCV?

The first stage after exposure to the hepatitis C virus is acute infection. Acute hepatitis will set in about 10-14 weeks after exposure to HCV. During the acute phase, the body mounts an intense immune response to clear the virus. In about 20% of cases, there will be clearance of the virus. In the remaining 80%, chronic infection will develop. In 10-25% of chronically infected persons, hepatitis C will progress over a period of 10-40 years. Hepatitis C progression can lead to scarring of the liver tissue (cirrhosis) and liver cancer.

7) What are the signs and symptoms of HCV infection?

As many as 80% of infected persons are asymptomatic, i.e. they show no signs or symptoms of having been infected with HCV. In other cases, there are mild, flu-like symptoms, such as fever, muscle and joint pain, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and fatigue. Jaundice and tenderness in the abdominal area are stronger indications of possible exposure to the hepatitis C virus.

8) How is Hepatitis C diagnosed?

If you experience any of the above symptoms or think that you may have been exposed to HCV, even if you are asymptomatic, consult your physician immediately. There are several tests available for the diagnosis of hepatitis C. The anti-HCV test detects antibodies to HCV. Other tests can determine the genotype (genetic makeup, strain) of HCV you may have been infected with as well as measure the amount of virus (viral load) in the bloodstream. A liver biopsy is the ultimate diagnostic procedure in hepatitis C: Liver tissue is examined to determine the degree of liver inflammation and the presence (or absence) of cirrhosis.

9) Is there a vaccine for Hepatitis C?

No vaccine for hepatitis C has been developed.

10) What is the treatment for chronic HCV infection?

Currently, the treatment of choice for chronic hepatitis C is a combination of the drugs interferon and ribavirin. At end-stage liver disease, a liver transplant is the only therapeutic option.

11) Can lifestyle choices influence the progression of HCV infection?

Absolutely. Healthy lifestyle choices and a visit to a gastroenterologist can slow down the progression of HCV infection and make the condition more manageable. Such choices are: maintenance of healthy weight; a balanced nutrition, high in fiber and antioxidants and low in sugar and fat; no smoking; no alcohol; regular exercise; plenty of rest; a mutually monogamous sexual relationship.

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Research Helps Prevent Necrotizing Enterocolitis, a Leading Cause of Death in Premature Infants

A team of researchers at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC has been able to identify a molecular switch that, it is blocked from working, it might be of some help in reversing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)m which is one of the leading causes of death in premature babies.

Necrotizing enterocolitis is a very sever inflammatory disease that occurs in the intestines of about 5% of all premature babies. Figures show that necrotizing enterocolitis can be fatal in as many as 50% of the cases. In the most extreme of the cases, necrotizing enterocolitis can lead to perforation of the intestine and if this is not treated immediately by emergency surgery, it can be fatal.

The number of cases of necrotizing enterocolitis is rising due to the fact that more premature infants are being saved.

The researchers worked in the lab and used an animal model of necrotizing enterocolitis. The team found that when they successfully blocked a molecular receptor that is known as Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4), the damaged tissue in the intestine that is the result of necrotizing enterocolitis was repaired.

It is the responsibility of this Toll-like receptor to act as a defense mechanism and switch on the immune response in the intestine. However, in the case of some of the premature infants who experience stress such as oxygen deprivation and have toxins caused by underdeveloped lungs there is an overproduction of TLR4. Unless they are able to find a way to stop the overproduction, it can lead to cell death as well as prevent enterocytes from moving to the site of the wound in the intestine and closing it up.

When they interfered with the production of another molecule that is also associated with TLR4 – focal adhesion kinase (FAK)- they were able to shut down the overproduction of the TLR4 in intestinal cells.

When the overproduction of the TLR4 stopped, the enterocytes were again able to travel to the intestines and once there, they repaired the damage that was done to the intestinal tissue. The team is continuing with the research into the development of future treatments that will be able to block the overproduction of the TLR4 by regulating its interactions with the focal adhesion kinase. They are looking at the possibility that they may be able to administer the treatments as part of the oral feeds for the infants.

The lead researcher on the project is David J. Hackam, MD, PhD, a pediatric surgeon and scientist at Children’s Hospital.

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Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: How to Avoid GERD Symptoms

GERD, or Gastroesophageal reflux disease, is a condition where acid backs up and enters the esophagus. In other words, this is extreme heartburn. People who suffer from GERD symptoms face several health risks, because the strength of stomach acid is the same as battery acid. This means people who face the symptoms of GERD, on a daily basis, could lose the lining of their esophagus and the enamel on their teeth. That’s why it’s important to avoid the symptoms of GERD whenever possible.

How to Avoid GERD Symptoms #1: Sleep Elevated

When you live with GERD, it maybe hard to sleep on a flat surface, but this doesn’t mean you have to buy a special bed either. In fact, you can elevate your bed in a few simple ways. For example, you can use books to elevate the head of your bed or you can also buy bed risers and only use them on your headboard. You can even do something as simple as adding more pillows to your bed. This helps you to avoid GERD symptoms by keeping the acid in your stomach.

How to Avoid GERD Symptoms #2: Avoid Sleeping on Your Right Side

It has been proven that sleeping on your right side will actually worsen GERD symptoms. When you sleep on your right side you may experience more acid coming up your throat. To avoid this, sleep on your back, or sleep on your left side.

How to Avoid GERD Symptoms #3: Avoid Citrus

Citrus foods are one of the many categories of food that can trigger GERD symptoms. To make it easier to live with GERD, you will want to avoid any foods that have citrus in them. This means that you will need to give up juices, candy, certain sodas, and any other foods that contain citric acid.

How to Avoid GERD Symptoms #4: Avoid Caffeine

Caffeine can also trigger GERD symptoms. In order to live with GERD, you must discover what foods contain caffeine. This means checking all the soda you drink and certain foods. This is usually easy to do. Just remember to switch to decaffeinated tea, coffee, and sodas and limit your intake of chocolate, which can also trigger GERD symptoms.

How to Avoid GERD Symptoms #5: Avoid Peppermint

Too much peppermint can also trigger GERD symptoms. This means you will want to limit your intake of mints, gum, and other candies that have a peppermint flavor. Depending on how bad your GERD is, you may want to avoid peppermint all together.

How to Avoid GERD Symptoms #6: Avoid Spicy Foods

It should go without saying that in order to live with GERD you must avoid spicy foods. This doesn’t just mean hot foods. Other foods that are spicy can also trigger GERD symptoms. For example, pasta sauce can cause extreme GERD symptoms making it almost impossible to sleep.

How to Avoid GERD Symptoms #7: Avoid Wearing Tight Pants

Wearing your pants too tight can cause GERD symptoms. As your pants squeeze your waistband, acid will move more easily into your esophagus. To avoid GERD symptoms you may want to wear pants that have an elastic waistband.

How to Avoid GERD Symptoms #8: Find a Medication That Works for You

The best way to avoid GERD symptoms is to find a medication that works for you. Not all medications are perfect for every individual, so it may take a while to find a medication that works. It’s best to start out with over-the-counter medications. If you can’t an OTC medication that works, you will then need to consult your doctor.

How to Avoid GERD Symptoms #9: Discover Trigger Foods

People who have GERD have problems with different types of food. This means that you maybe able to eat citrus foods, but chocolate makes you extremely ill. To avoid GERD symptoms, you will need to discover which food trigger GERD symptoms. Whenever you experience GERD symptoms, write down what you ate that day. Overtime, you will be able to avoid trigger foods.

How to Avoid GERD Symptoms #10: Don’t Lay Down Right After Eating

To help avoid the GERD symptoms you will want to avoid laying down right after you eat. This will help to ensure that the acid stays in your stomach rather than making its way into your esophagus. You can also visit the best clinic in your area for more help.

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Tips for College Students Dealing with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome a little over a year ago, when I was a freshman in college. It was a bit of a shock at first, because I had always thought of IBS as something that people got when they were older. I was only 19, how could it be happening to me?

However, over the past year I have learned to deal with my IBS to keep the pain manageable and prevent as many flare-ups as possible. Here are some tips to try if you are suffering from the symptoms of IBS:

1) Avoid Stress. Yes, avoiding stress can be rather difficult, especially for a college student, but stress is VERY hard on your body, and can lead to increased pain for IBS sufferers.

2) Drink Plenty of Water. At least 8 glasses of water a day will help keep your body clean and will help flush out the toxins that build up.

3) Avoid Fast Food. Greasy, fatty fast food is one of the worst things that anyone can do to their body, especially IBS sufferers. Instead of grabbing the cheeseburger on the way home from work, make something at home instead. Not only will this save you pain later on, it will also save your wallet!

4) Adjust Your Diet. Find the foods that set off your flare ups (they can vary from person to person). For me, avoiding fatty foods (such as fried food, red meats, etc), dairy, caffeine, beer, beans, and certain raw vegetables (broccoli and peppers) seems to help a lot. Adjusting your diet can be hard, especially when many of the things that make you sick are the things that you love (as is the case for me)

If you keep these few simple tips in mind and have a talk with the best doctor your trust, you will hopefully be able to keep your IBS under control.

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Getting Certification as a Gastroenterology Nurse

Nurses experienced in a gastroenterology environment can seek to advance their careers by getting certification. One way of achieving this is by taking and passing the ABCGN certification exam after acquiring the required work experience. Nurses seeking this certification should follow the steps below:

1. Download the American Board of Certification for Gastroenterology Nurses Certification Handbook. This will give you the details on the certification and exam process. See the link below to access the handbook.
2. Accumulate at least 2 years of full-time work in the past 5 years in gastroenterology nursing or endoscopy as an RN. Work as an LVN or LPN does not count. However, 4000 hours of part-time work over the same period is acceptable. The job positions qualifying for this work are either supervisory, clinical, administrative, teaching/education or research. Sales positions do not count if the applicant nurse focused on that area.
3. Use the handbook to determine the content of the gastroenterology nurse exam. It contains an outline of what is expected to appear on the certification test.

Note: Unfortunately, the Board does not provide or even endorse any particular reference materials to prepare for the exam. With that in mind, gastroenterology nursing professionals should ask their supervising nurses and doctors for recommendations for professional study materials. Textbooks in the field should suffice for learning the material necessary to pass the test provided they are used in conjunction with the exam outline.

You may also wish to join the best doctors from the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates instead of purchasing books to prepare for the exam. The online courses will have material appearing on the exam, but there appears to be no guarantee from the Board as to what will help you prepare. You can also test yourself with a practice test before taking the actual gastroenterology nursing exam.

Example: There is a Certification Preparation Kit at the SGNA website. It costs $300, as of 2011. Click on the SGNA Marketplace link to find that course and other products for gastroenterology nursing education and certification test preparation.

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The Affect of Alcohol on the Female Hepatitis C Patient

Hepatitis C is a complex liver disorder which affects more than four million individuals each year, many unaware of the impending diagnosis. For women struggling through this complicating liver disorder, learning to modify lifestyle is a crucial aspect of improving not only quality of life but also the rare, but increasing, mortality rate associated with hepatitis C. One such lifestyle change, involving the use of alcohol, has become a difficult habit for many women to relinquish. For women suffering from hepatitis C, taking measures to improve liver function is crucial thus requiring the elimination of alcohol from the diet.

Hepatitis C is a viral condition transmitted through blood contact with a donor who, carrying the hepatitis C virus, transmits to another individual through blood contact. While hepatitis C is rather difficult to contract, it is impossible to cure and, therefore, when diagnosed with hepatitis C, sufferers must take precautions to monitor diet, especially alcohol intake.

For women who suffer from alcoholism, life can be a daily struggle in the fight against the liver deterioration associated with hepatitis C. For women suffering from alcoholism, a hepatitis C diagnosis can lead to even greater liver complications. As a result, women, in general, should limit consumption of alcohol in moderation or not at all, especially when suffering from hepatitis C.

What is important to understand is the implication of hepatitis C on the liver, alone, which, generally, does not lead to life threatening complications. However, in recent medical research, for women who consume alcohol, after contracting hepatitis C, the combination can lead to a total liver failure. Based on the findings of this study, healthcare professionals have now further confirmed the negative implication of alcohol not only on the health of women but especially on women suffering from hepatitis C.

For women diagnosed with hepatitis C, struggling with co morbid alcoholism, seeking help from a healthcare professional is crucial. With alcoholism support groups, coupled with prescription medication to aid in the cessation of drinking, many women are finding great success in the relief of alcoholism. This combination approach to alcohol treatment is crucial to the health improvement of women with hepatitis C as well.

As with any organ disorder, seeking early diagnosis and intervention will provide for less complicated health conditions with aging. For women, the consumption of alcohol should always be kept to a minimum and, especially for women with hepatitis C, should be avoided completely. When suffering with a hepatitis C condition, seeking advice and nutrition recommendation from a dietician will provide for a more well rounded aging process when suffering with hepatitis C.

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Hepatitis C and the Impact of Diet and Nutrition

With more than four million Americans suffering from hepatitis C, many without knowledge, the health complications and risk associated with this liver disorder are often not realized until such time as complications present and the liver condition is diagnosed. For many hepatitis C sufferers, once diagnosed, the close monitoring of diet becomes a crucial part of improving liver condition, working to reduce or reverse further liver damage and prevent life threatening complications associated with hepatitis C. As a hepatitis C patient, understanding the impact of diet and nutrition upon the liver, will work to educate the patient, and family, in the appropriate steps to improve the length and quality of life.

Hepatitis C, simply put, is a medical condition in which an individual has tested positive for the HCV virus, generally contracted through blood contact with another individual. While, in rare cases, hepatitis C can lead to life threatening liver disorder, many individuals simply suffer from the side effects of the liver complication. While there is no cure for hepatitis C, the side effects and health complications can be alleviated through proper diet and nutrition.

One key aspect of nutrition for the hepatitis C sufferer, involves the elimination of alcohol completely from the diet. While hepatitis C, generally, does not lead to a life threatening liver disorder, when mixed with alcohol consumption, the development of cirrhosis of the liver is quite common and can become fatal in the hepatitis C patient. For this reason, hepatitis C patients should avoid all consumption of alcohol.

In addition to avoiding alcohol consumption, individuals suffering with hepatitis C should comply with appropriate nutrition recommendations in an effort to control and avoid excess weight gain or weight loss. To do this, the hepatitis C patient’s diet may require a uniquely devised menu of low fat with a close monitoring of iron intake levels as an excess degree of iron intake may complicate the liver disorder further.

Additionally, the use of complex carbohydrates may be carefully associated with the hepatitis C diet so as to assist the body in the storage of additional weight, when necessary. When consulting a nutritionist regarding a specialized diet for treatment and monitoring of hepatitis C, the consumption of excess fat will be highly discouraged as this imposes an increase in triglycerides within the body, leading to high cholesterol, placing a greater stress upon the liver affected by hepatitis C.

Beyond alcohol and fat intake, the individual suffering from hepatitis C should focus dietary consumption on high quantities of protein. While patients without liver complications are highly encouraged to consume protein daily, for those suffering from hepatitis C, a significant amount of protein should be consumed daily so as to encourage repair of damaged liver cells; at present, nutritionist recommend up to 120 grams.

Of additional concern for hepatitis C patients, is the potential risk for the development of a mental confusion which may occur as a direct result of an inappropriate diet. Known as encephalopathy, hepatitis C patients commonly report disorientation and lethargy associated with liver complications. When symptoms of encephalopathy are present, in the hepatitis C patient, consultation with a healthcare professional, including consultation with a nutritionist, is highly recommended as dietary modifications will be required, even to the extent of strictly limiting food intake to that of a vegetarian diet, on a temporary basis.

As with any life threatening complication, understanding the key aspects to improving and reversing adverse health, will work to ensure an improved response to the treatment guidelines associated with the condition. In patients with hepatitis C, while generally not life threatening, diet and nutrition does play a key role in preventing further deterioration of the liver. Therefore, when diagnosed with hepatitis C, consultation with the best doctor and a certified nutritionist is a crucial piece of the life care plan to establish and improve long term health.

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Ulcerative Colitis: Common Colon Pain in Women

Each year, millions of women suffer from, and seek treatment for, Ulcerative Colitis. Unfortunately, for many women, symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis may have lingered for quite some time, resulting in a significant condition in which the abdominal lining, colon and rectum bleed on a regular basis. For women suffering from severe abdominal pain and bleeding, understanding the symptoms and treatment of Ulcerative Colitis may lead to improved quality of life and reduced risk for complications associated with aging.

Ulcerative Colitis is a term that encompasses a variety of symptoms and causes. The most common train of thought lends the origin of Ulcerative Colitis to a weakened gastrointestinal system commonly associated with poor diet, heredity and aging however the true medical origin is relatively unknown.

Women who suffer from Ulcerative Colitis generally exhibit symptoms such as pain in the pelvis and abdomen, bloating, rectal pain and even rectal bleeding. In addition to pain, some women will exhibit more extensive Ulcerative Colitis symptoms such as fever, development of hemorrhoids and even coughing or spitting up blood. When untreated, the Ulcerative Colitis can render a woman unable to perform activities of daily living, may require surgical intervention and, in rare cases, can be life threatening. When suffering from symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis, a gastroenterologist should be consulted as the condition will need to be differentiated from other common GI disorders and diseases such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Crohn’s disease.

When diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, the gastroenterologist should begin a series of prescription medications to facilitate the remedy of symptoms and, once cured, continue to administer the medications in an effort to prevent the Ulcerative Colitis from returning; a sort of remission process. .

Because Ulcerative Colitis is not directly attributed to any one known factor, preventing the recurrence of Ulcerative Colitis may be achieved through a combination approach to care. In addition to prescription medications, women suffering from Ulcerative Colitis will generally restrict dietary programs including a restriction in consumption of fresh fruits, caffeine and dairy products. Unfortunately, because the nutrients found in dairy and fruit, namely fiber, vitamin C and calcium, may be depleted due to dietary restrictions, women with Ulcerative Colitis are highly encouraged to use a multi vitamin daily.

When untreated, Ulcerative Colitis can lead to life long complications for women and may even result in premature death. For this reason, in rare cases, when Ulcerative Colitis symptoms are quite significant, the gastroenterologist may recommend hospital admission to aggressively resolve symptoms through a surgical procedure to remove the large intestine. While this is rare, it is recommended that the woman suffering from Ulcerative Colitis be open to the surgical possibility as a necessary course of treatment of the Ulcerative Colitis.

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Ulcerative Colitis: An Overview

It is always adviseable to go to your doctor about any serious medical condition, such as ulcerative colitis, but I will try to answer a few of the most popular questions here, in this article. Ulcerative colitis is not a subject that many people enjoy discussing over dinner or coffee, and many patients who suffer from this disorder are in the dark as to the causes and treatment options. It can be difficult to discuss ulcerative colitis even with a doctor because it is such a sensitive issue.

Ulcerative colitis is one of the many types of inflammatory bowel disease. Patients diagnosed with ulcerative colitis may suffer from a partial or fully inflamed colon, painful sores on the inner walls of the colon, and bloody stool. Many times, ulcerative colitis is present but remains all but dormant for several years before the symptoms actually begin to flare.

It is unknown at this point exactly what causes ulcerative colitis, though it is thought to stem from immune system deficiencies. Ulcerative colitis involves the colon, the large intestine, the rectum and sometimes the small intestine, and pain can be experienced in any of these areas. Many dieticians also believe that poor nutrition is to blame. When a patient experiences diarrhea, many valuable nutrients are lost, and the ulcerative colitis will invariably worsen.

Patients diagnosed with ulcerative colitis have a variety of treatment options, depending upon the intensity of the disease. Surgery is the most extreme option, and involves removal of the affected areas of the colon. This is the only cure for ulcerative colitis, but should be avoided if possible because it can lead to other diseases and disorders.

A doctor can prescribe a diet that will help to control “flare-ups” of ulcerative colitis, and will include foods that are not irritating to the bowels or urinary tract. Medications and herbal remedies are also options, but will not cure the disease. Patients who experience chronic ulcerative colitis may be asked to keep a journal in which they will record the foods they eat and the occurances of any and all symptoms. This will help a doctor to determine the most effective course of treatment.

Certain vitamins, herbs and spices can be taken, and are even recommended by nutritionists and medical professionals. A daily multi-vitamin may be sufficient, but more concentrated doses of Vitamins B12 and D are most effective. Eating a diet rich in fish and lean meats is advised for patients who suffer from ulcerative colitis, and daily doses of botanical aloe may help to reduce inflamation of the colon.

If you are worried that you might have ulcerative colitis, or another inflammatory bowel disease, it is important to consult with your doctor as soon as possible to determine a method of treatment that will reduce pain and hopefully alleviate all symptoms.

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Ulcerative Colitis Surgery: An Overview

Ulcerative colitis surgery is the last and most invasive method of controlling ulcerative colitis, and may not actually cure the patient of the disease, though it will certain alleviate the symptoms. Ulcerative colitis surgery is a surgical procedure during which the affected portions of the colon, large intestine and rectum are removed to eliminate future spread of the disease. While ulcerative colitis can often be controlled through medication and adjustments to diet, surgery is the only option for patients who suffer debilitating symptoms with the disease.

The problem is that medical professionals and dieticians cannot always agree on the foods and beverages which inflame the disease, and three different doctors may give three very different opinions concerning ulcerative colitis. Some patients feel that surgery is their only option in order to experience relief from pain and discomfort.

Before undergoing any type of surgery, it is important to familiarize yourself with the procedure. Talk with your doctor at length about the length of the surgery, the aftereffects, what to suspect over the days and weeks following surgery, and what to do if the symptoms persist. Your doctor should be happy to discuss your particular case of ulcerative colitis and go over all of the treatment options.

The actual ulcerative colitis surgery involves removing pieces of the colon, large intestine and rectum, which can have varying side effects depending upon how much tissue will actually have to be removed. Some people lose so much of their large intestine that they will have to live the rest of their lives with a coleostomy, which is when the intestine is rerouted outside the stomach and the patient must carry a bag with them to catch any excrement.

The limited amount of large intestine in the body results in the body’s inability to absorb nutrients at the proper rate. The patient will have to take vitamins every day and will probably have difficulty gaining weight.

Surgery will also be required if perforations – or holes – are created in the colon or large intestine to do excess toxins in the system, or if the doctor fears that the patient is at a higher risk for colon cancer.

Ulcerative colitis surgery is a four-to-six hour procedure, after which the patient will typically remain in ICU (intensive care unit) for a period of days until doctors are certain that no lasting and harmful damage remains in the colon or intestine. The patient may be required to wear a coleostomy bag for several days, weeks or months following the surgery to allow the intestine and rectum to heal.

The patient will then have to remain under close observation by his or her doctor to make sure that no other part of the colon, large intestine or rectum is affected by the surgery. If the entire intestine or colon is removed, other surgeries or procedures may be required.

Consult with your doctor about possible remedies for ulcerative colitis before committing to surgery. If necessary, or if it will ease your mind, obtain a second opinion before scheduling the surgery.

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Mouphtaou Yarou Cleared to Practice

Villanova Wildcats’ freshman forward/center Mouphtaou Yarou has been cleared to practice. He was diagnosed with Hepatitis B in late November. Head coach Jay Wright initially thought that the 6-9 Yarou was out for the season.

The eighth ranked Wildcats could really use Yarou. The team gets great perimeter play, but could use an interior presence. At 6-9, he is the second tallest player on the team (freshman forward/center Maurice Sutton is 6-11). Yarou was ranked as the 18th best recruit in the nation coming into the season by ESPN.

He only played in the Wildcats’ first two games before missing time, playing 37 minutes combined in those two games. The games (both home against Farleigh Dickinson and Pennsylvania) were blowouts, as Villanova won them by 61 points combined. Yarou is set to return during the Big East conference season, and will have to get accustomed to the college game while playing in probably the best conference in the nation.

Villanova can really score the basketball, as it has scored 83.7 points per game as a team. Their record stands at 12-1, with their lone loss coming at Temple. The team got senior guard Reggie Redding back after the Temple loss, which was the Wildcats’ tenth game. Redding was suspended for the first semester for marijuana possession. He’s one of the team’s best on-ball defenders. The 6-5 Redding has averaged 14.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in his first three games, which would easily be career highs if he can maintain those numbers.

Senior guard Scottie Reynolds and junior guards Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes give the Wildcats a trio of good, experienced players in the backcourt. Freshmen guards Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek are two talented young players that have each seen substantial minutes in their first seasons, and will become major contributors in the future for Villanova.

The team’s frontcourt is led by 6-8, 235 pound junior forward Antonio Pena and 6-6, 230 pound sophomore forward Taylor King, who transferred to Villanova after spending his freshman season with the Duke Blue Devils. Pena is a bruiser that leads the team in rebounding, but can also score (12.4 points per game), while King is a fantastic three-point shooter (25 made three-pointers on 46.3% shooting from behind the arc). Freshmen forward/center Maurice Sutton and forward Isaiah Armwood are two more talented first year players that have seen substantial minutes.

Villanova made the Final Four last year and may have gotten better. Yarou won’t be asked to be a star, but the Wildcats could use some help in the frontcourt, and he’s talented enough to provide them with it.

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