What is Ulcerative Colitis and Crohns?

Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease which affects the inner lining of the large intestine and rectum. Crohns is the chronic inflammatory bowel disease which affects any part of the digestive tract and causes damage deep in the layers of the tissue.

Symptoms of both of these diseases are diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, blood in stool, reduced appetite/weight loss, fever, fatigue and ulcers that may progress and penetrate the intestine wall. Complications include: bowel obstruction, ulcers, fistulas, anal fissures, malnutrition, colon cancer, depression and social isolation. Crohn’s disease can also lead to arthritis, inflammation of the eyes or skin, kidney stones, gallstones and osteoporosis.

The management of these diseases include limiting your dairy intake, using low fat foods, increasing fiber, increasing fluids, avoiding foods with caffeine, avoiding popcorn, spicy foods and citrus foods and avoiding stress.