Posted by
on Nov 8th, 2015 and filed under Doctor offers tips to treat inflammatory bowel disease – WNYT
Updated: 10/28/2015 5:51 PM
Created: 10/28/2015 2:20 PM WNYT.com
By: Benita Zahn
Inflammatory bowel disease can be a debilitating disorder.
It affects the digestive tract.
The precise cause is unknown and there is no cure.
So knowledge is key after diagnosis.
Inflammatory bowel disease doesn’t discriminate between men and women. While it was once more prevalent in people from and of Northern European descent — as the world has westernized, the disease incidence and prevalence has grown.
Generally people in late teens through early 30’s are affected. However, there’s also another peak in the 50’s and 60’s. Under this banner are Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis.
“They are different and traditionally we thought of them as two separate diseases. But I think as time goes on we’ll learn they are two parts of a spectrum,” surmised Dr. Darren Seril, a gastroenterologist at Albany Medical Center.
Dr. Seril says the body’s immune system mistakenly views food, bacteria and other materials as something to attack — triggering inflammation in the digestive tract. What causes the over aggressive reaction in the first place is not understood. So a cure remains elusive.
“So it’s really regarded as a chronic process that can be modulated with medications. And sometimes it goes into a very deep remission. But for the most part, at this time, we don’t have a cure for it,” explained Seril.
Because certain foods can exacerbate symptoms he recommends patients keep a food diary. And as for pro and prebiotics to help tame the flares.
“The jury is still out on probiotics. Probably at this point we can say they’re not harmful for inflammatory bowel disease,” noted Seril.
There is a genetic predisposition to inflammatory bowel disease, says Dr. Seril, but in most cases there is no apparent connection.
Dr. Seril will be speaking at a digestive diseases conference on November 4.
The conference is sponsored by Albany Medical Center and the Times Union.
It will be at the Desmond Hotel on Wolf Road in Colonie, and runs from 5:30 to 7. It’s free but you’re asked to register.
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