But there are some key differences that IBD patients should be aware of. Both diseases involve some form of inflammation (hence the “I” in “IBD”), but the location of that inflammation differs. Crohn’s patients could see inflammation anywhere along the digestive system tract, while ulcerative colitis inflammation is usually limited to the large intestine.

While the symptoms of both diseases are similar, some differences do exist. In Crohn’s disease, the pain is frequently centered around the lower right abdominal area, contrasted with the lower left side pain common in ulcerative disease patients. Anal bleeding quite frequently occurs with ulcerative colitis, but is less frequently seen in Crohn’s patients.

A gastroenterologist can frequently diagnose the correct disease through common testing procedures. Scans such as colonoscopies can tell a physician which disease is most likely the culprit of the patient’s symptoms. For example, the appearance of the wall of the colon will be thicker and have a paving-stone-like appearance, while ulcerative colitis creates a thinner bowel wall with a more consistent area of inflammation. Additionally, a scan can show groupings of inflamed cells that create lesions in digestive organs (called granulomas).  These lesion-like granulomas present in Crohn’s patients, but not in ulcerative colitis patients.

It is very important to get a correct diagnosis from an experienced physician (preferably a gastroenterologist, who is likely to have more experience and training in distinguishing between the two illnesses), because the treatment protocols for each illness can be quite different.

This doesn’t just mean the immediate people in your life who understand your illness and know when and how to pitch in with family/home obligations. It also means reaching out to other people who are directly affected by Crohn’s or colitis, and sharing the burden of the journey with them.

The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America has an active online community, as well as a website with a tremendous amount of resources and information for patients and their families.

The website NursingSchools.net has a list of forty recommended blogs and websites that offer information and support for Crohn’s/colitis patients and loved ones.

For women with any chronic illness, the Chronic Babes website provides an instant and active community that can provide much-needed support and comfort.

And the About.com website for Inflammatory Bowel Disease in general has some excellent resources on finding and working with online and offline support groups.

Finally, if you’re on Twitter, you can find Twitter chats related to health conditions by the hashtags listed here. Simply search Twitter for that hashtag, and you’ll find ongoing discussions about various health topics.

There are many avenues of support and information online for Crohn’s disease, IBD, and colitis. Give several a try and you’ll find one that fits your needs. Remember to read any rules about group participation before you participate in message boards or other chat forums. Then jump in and introduce yourself. The key to an effective support group, for any health condition, is active participation.

Although people with celiac disease must eat a gluten-free diet, its ability to treat or manage symptoms of other diseases has yet to be shown in any rigorous scientific studies.

But some people with Crohn’s disease report that the gluten-free diet has, indeed, alleviated their Crohn’s symptoms. Could it be worth a try? Possibly, though as with any restrictive diet, living with a restrictive diet carries its own unique obstacles.

However, it should also be noted that living on a gluten-free diet may heighten the risk of malnutrition. Whole grains (which would be excluded on a gluten-free diet) contain many nutrients and minerals essential for good health, some of which are already poorly absorbed by a Crohn’s patient’s system.

If you think you’d like to try a gluten-free diet, start by discussing the idea with your treating physician. If she gives you the “all-clear,” your next step is to educate yourself. There are several websites that can assist with information, recipes, and guidance. One good place to start is Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef.

You can also take a look at the following books, available at Amazon.com:

• Kids with Celiac Disease: A Family Guide to Raising Happy, Healthy, Gluten-Free Children by Danna Korn
• Gluten Free: A Comprehensive Resource Guide by Shelley Case
• Wheat Free, Worry Free: The Art of Happy, Healthy Gluten-Free Living by Danna Korn

For more information about diet, nutrition and Crohn’s disease in general, you should download and read this PDF from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.

The British researchers examined 200,000 patients from various European countries.  The individuals ranged in age from thirty to seventy-four.  The team found that those who took aspirin on a regular, daily basis increased their risk of developing Crohn’s disease five fold, according to About Lawsuits.  Despite this apparent connection, the researchers did not delve into why the association might exist.  What’s more is that the overall chance of developing Crohn’s because of aspirin use is relatively small.  The researchers also noted that the study does not show that there is any concrete causal link between aspirin and Crohn’s disease.  In fact, they estimated that only one in two thousand people taking the aspirin were at a higher risk of developing the chronic condition.

In the end, the beneficial effects of aspirin far outweigh any risk for Crohn’s disease.  Although you should discuss any daily aspirin use with your physician, it is unlikely that taking it will cause you to develop to Crohn’s or worsen the existing condition.  Because of the debilitating effects of Crohn’s, it is imperative that you monitor the health of other organs and take preventative measures.  Many people are forced to stop working because of Crohn’s side effects.  While you may collect disability benefits because of resigning due to Crohn’s, you still want to try to maintain your overall health.  You do not want to have additional medical problems because your heart was not protected.  Discuss with your doctor any effect that aspirin may have on your health and whether you should begin or cease a regimen.  As with most treatment options, it is not always black and white, and sometimes you must do what is right for, despite the possible risks.

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French researchers conducted a study with mice which led them to conclude that having low levels of a protein (PPAR-gamma) that controls a bacteria defense mechanism in the intestines, may lead to increased infections and the development of crohn’s. They used mice that were bred to have low levels of the protein, finding that they were less able to combat intestinal infection than those mice that had normal levels of PPAR-gamma. According to Reuters, even when samples of colon were taken from people who had been diagnosed with crohn’s, evidence was found that there were low levels of antimicrobial peptides, which are controlled by the protein, PPAR-gamma. So, if lower levels of the protein are responsible for infection, inflammation, and possibly, the development of intestinal disorders, is there a way to increase the protein in our bodies?

Fortunately, the answer is yes, there are many ways to boost the PPAR-gamma protein levels. There are drugs that are currently being used to treat other diseases, which are perfect matches for restoring the protein to adequate levels. Some such medications include diabetes drugs Avandia and Actos. The researchers also note that changing your diet can also heavily influence the development of the protein. Consuming foods that are rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), such as meat and dairy, can help to increase the PPAR-gamma protein levels and also fend off the development of intestinal cancers. The researchers hope that the discovery of this protein and its role in the development and worsening of crohn’s may not only help them manage the disease, but also eventually find a cure. As it stands now, most people take injectable rugs to combat the condition, but most of these stop being effective after a certain period of time. This protein could be the link that explains why certain people develop the disease, and hopefully, provide a way to prevent anyone from living with the disability. If you suffer from crohn’s, you should discuss taking the aforementioned medications, as well as changing your diet to include more CLA-rich foods, with your doctor. Although they may not provide an immediate cure, they may provide some much needed relief.

In the study of twelve Crohn’s patients, each was given an infusion of PDA-001 treatment twice over a two week period.  The participants had moderate to severe Crohn’s disease and had not responded to at least one prior therapy.  Moreover, six of the participants were given a lower dose of the treatment, while the other six were provided with a higher dose.  The study, according to Reuters, met its safety goal and resulted in some clinical benefits among the participants, including remission of four of the patients in the low dose group.  The company was encouraged by these results and felt that the outcome of the study gave credence to further research on this and other tissue treatments for Crohn’s and other chronic and (currently) incurable diseases.

This particular treatment is also encouraging because the stem cells are harvested from full term placental tissue, rather then the controversial embryonic stem cells.  These types of cells are thought to be able to treat illness and disease like no other therapies currently available.  With this particular treatment resulting from full term human placenta, it is unlikely that it will receive the same opposition as embryonic cells and can move forward in research and treatment more easily.

This is encouraging news for the thousands of Crohn’s sufferers who cannot rely on any relief for their disorder.  An interesting problem that may arise from this type of treatment is whether periods of remission will impact whether a person can seek social security disability benefits.  It can be assumed that, like multiple sclerosis, even though a disease may be in remission, a person is still considered to have the disease or disability.  As such, as long as the symptoms are recorded and the remission periods are also notated, it is likely that an Administrative Law Judge will take it under consideration, but will recognize that a person is still disabled by law.  It will, however, be an interesting trend to follow if this type of stem cell treatment becomes more widespread and readily available.

For the millions of individuals who live with the disease and must combat unpredictable flare-ups, this study may provide the treatment option that best suits their needs.  In fact, the researchers are so sure of their findings that they believe that the way Crohn’s is now treated will be changed based on the study’s results.  The study focused on roughly five hundred individuals suffering from Crohn’s disease who had never been treated with immunosuppressive drugs.  Currently, Crohn’s is usually treated in stages, with stage one being the prescription of steroids, and if this does not work, it is one to stage two, which is using azathioprine, which greatly reduces immune system activity.  If the second stage drug is unsuccessful, then doctors will treat an individual with a new class of drugs, biologics, which treat a specific part of the immune system.  During the study, the researchers gave a third of the participants a biologic drug alone, another third a dose of azathioprine alone, and then a final third of the group received a combination of the drugs.  At the end of the study, according to Business Week, approximately fifty-seven percent of those using a combination of the drugs reported a complete remission of their crohn’s symptoms.  Only forty-four percent of those taking the biologic drug reported remission and only thirty percent of those receiving azathioprine saw relief.

These results caused the researchers and doctors to declare that the most effective treatment option for crohn’s is to combine the drugs.  They encourage the medical establishment to start with the steroids and if they do not work, prescribe a combination of the other two drugs as the next step, rather than breaking them into two steps.  This would provide faster, more effective relief.  The researchers also acknowledge that the combination of drugs pay cause a risk of infection, although the overall risk is relatively small.  Further, the researchers argue that by causing the disease to go into remission, the combination therapy prevents other infections to the intestinal wall from occurring.

This study appears to shore up previous studies that showed that combination therapy may be the best option for this irritable bowel disease.  If you are curious about taking a combination of these drugs, talk with your doctor about possible side effects and whether she believes it is a viable option for you.  Further, it is important to understand that even if the therapy works and your crohn’s goes into remission, it does not mean that you no longer have the disease in reference to social security disability benefits.  You still have the disease, even though the symptoms are in remission.

According to Reuters, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill examined information gleaned from eighty-seven health insurance plans in the United States.  They compared roughly 8,000 people who had a form of irritable bowel disease with individuals who did not have the health problem.  The researchers found that of the 8,000 people, twenty-four had used the acne drug Isotretinoin, and they had done so prior to being diagnosed with the bowel disease.  In the group with no symptoms of bowel disease, approximately 22,000 people, thirty-six individuals used the drug.  The researchers concluded that users of Isotretinoin were four times as likely to develop ulcerative colitis.  Reuters also reports that the researchers also found that the risk increases depending on the dosage of Isotretinoin.  The researchers are quick to note that the overall relative risk of developing colitis after taking the drug is relatively small.

Although this study appears to indicate a link between Isotretinoin and ulcerative colitis, researchers are still uncertain as to why an association would exist.  They believe that the drug may somehow damage the immune system of the intestines, but there is no definitive research to support this theory.  A bright spot in this study is that the researchers found that although the medication increased the chances of developing colitis, it had no impact on the onset of crohn’s disease.  This is likely because the diseases are so different and have different immune system responses.

Your risk for developing colitis due to the taking of isotretinoin is pretty small.  However, if you are planning to undergo a drug regimen that includes this drug for acne treatment, you should discuss this possible outcome with your doctor.  There may be other factors in your medical history that could predispose you to the bowel disease, and as such, the risk of taking the acne medication would far outweigh any benefit.  While acne is difficult to live with, it usually eventually disappears over time.  Colitis, on the other hand, does not, and is such a chronic, damaging disease that the Social Security Administration even recognizes it as a disability.

Irritable bowel syndrome is marked by very similar symptoms as those experienced by crohn’s sufferers, including intestinal and stomach pain, cramping, and difficult bowel movements. They are, however, very, very different disorders. Researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School evaluated colonoscopy results of a large number of irritable bowel patients. They found that most of these were unwarranted colonoscopies, as the patients did not have crohn’s, colitis, or colon cancer. The researchers also reported that doctors need to be aware of differentiating symptoms, such as weight loss, anemia, bleeding, or other serious problems. Furthermore, they encouraged doctors to explore the family history of patients, which may be the strongest indicator of a serious disease. The researchers concluded that irritable bowel syndrome was not an indicator and not necessarily a link for the more serious and chronic condition of crohn’s disease.

It is important that these distinctions are made and that a doctor makes the correct diagnosis for many reasons. First, the treatment options are quite different for these conditions and each need to be employed immediately. Additionally, crohn’s and colitis are both recognized disabilities by the Social Security Administration, thereby allowing claimants to file for benefits if they have the disease. There is not, however, a provision for irritable bowel syndrome. A doctor’s diagnosis and treatment plan will need to be submitted when filing a claim, therefore an accurate report of crohn’s or colitis is paramount. Finally, crohn’s and colitis are often linked with other diseases or health conditions in the body. Understanding whether you have irritable bowel syndrome or crohn’s is important in recognizing what other problems may exist. If you suffer from any irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, make sure to discuss with your doctor your family history and other troubling problems. It may be that you only have IBS; however, it could be something far more serious. Either way, it is imperative to get the proper diagnosis and treatment.

Various experts, researchers, and medical professionals will be available to discuss any questions with the participants, as well as discuss different advances in the field.  Some of the topics that will be discussed include, what is currently being researched? ; how advances in irritable bowel disorder genetics and immunology will affect people; whether infusion or injection therapy should be considered for irritable bowel disorder treatment; and what clinical trials are being conducted and how people can benefit from participating in one.  It is a great opportunity for people suffering from the diseases to come together, ask questions, and receive information that is specifically pertinent to their condition.  It will also arm them with knowledge that they can bring to their health care professionals and employers.

Since the disorders spawn symptoms, such as severe abdominal pain, fever, weight loss, and persistent diarrhea, individuals are often required to stop working or doing other daily activities.  In fact, many people have to file for social security disability benefits because the disorder is so debilitating that they cannot effectively work and must either be confined to their home or sometimes, a hospital or health care facility.  It is for this reason that they are offering the webcast and teleconference free of charge, so that anyone, anywhere can attend.  For those that are interested in participating in the webcast, you can call 1-877-547-5641, extension 312 or register at http://www.ccfa.org/webcasts/research .

It occurred to me that the topic of Crohn’s and Colitis and Social Security Disability may come up at the upcoming web cast. If information on this topic is limited during the webcast, or if people are looking for additional information, feel free to direct them to the home page attached to this Crohn’s and Colitis Disability blog. On the main pages of this website there is actually a wealth of information regarding the SSDI claims process and how to win benefits based on Crohn’s and Colitis. If you ever have any questions that you cannot find answers to, you are always welcome to leave a comment on the blog or contact us for additional assistance.