News
What anyone with ulcerative colitis needs to know about colorectal cancer
Having a chronic illness like ulcerative colitis affects your health in so many ways, from the daily issues, like terrible pain, to the big picture, like an increased risk of colorectal cancer. The connection between ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer can be scary and confusing, but it’s an important one to understand. Here’s what you need to know […]
News
What to know about Crohn’s and the eyes
Common symptoms of Crohn’s disease include cramps, diarrhea, and bloody stool. However, Crohn’s disease can also cause symptoms outside the digestive tract. These include skin complications, problems with joints, and eye disorders. About 10% of people with Crohn’s disease have eye-related symptoms or conditions. Due to the sensitivity of the tissues in the eye, symptoms may occur in this […]
News
Let’s talk about ulcerative colitis
What Is Ulcerative Colitis, Anyway? Ulcerative colitis: Even the name is a mouthful. But let’s break it down. UC is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the colon (that’s the colitis part) and rectum. That inflammation leads to ulcers (that’s the ulcerative part), or open sores, in the intestinal lining that can bleed […]
News
Let’s talk about Crohn’s disease
What Is Crohn’s Disease, Actually? Before we talk about what Crohn’s disease is, let’s talk about what it isn’t. Because the chronic condition is, well, chronically misunderstood. While Crohn’s tends to conjure images of grimacing on le toilet, it doesn’t just impact the bowels. Crohn’s causes inflammation of the digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract. That means it can […]
News
Crohn’s sufferers stay home over fears of being denied toilet access, disability lawyer says
In 2017, Lower Hutt teenager Nicole Thornton, who has Crohn’s disease, presented a petition to Parliament asking for people like her to be given the right to use toilets at businesses when there were no public toilets nearby. In February, the Health Select Committee said in a report on the petition that forcing businesses to give members of the […]
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Living with Crohn’s disease: Recognising and managing flares
Tracking symptoms helps recognize Crohn’s disease flares early Flare-ups can be triggered by a variety of factors including changes in diet, new medications, infections and antibiotics, stress, and changes in the underlying disease itself. In some cases a specific trigger can be identified, but in many cases the trigger remains unknown. Symptoms of Crohn’s disease […]
News
Common mistakes that can make ulcerative colitis worse
When you experience an ulcerative colitis flare, it’s easy to assign blame, be it on last night’s spicy dinner or on that extra-large coffee. In actuality, flares are unpredictable — there are no proven triggers or foolproof ways to prevent them. The most important thing to do if you have ulcerative colitis? “Take your medications as prescribed […]
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Questions to ask yourself before downloading your next health app
Check your symptoms. Track your diet. Sleep better. Worry less. Get fit for the beach. With app stores overwhelmed by products promising a better, healthier life, our phones are increasingly the first port of call for health and exercise guidance. Little wonder, when the claims sound great and the apps are free. But by turning […]
Personal Story
Illness can morph you without your consent
When I was first diagnosed, I was told that Crohn’s disease was chronic. I looked that word up. Chronic: “Persisting for a long time or constantly recurring.” I shrugged, “No big deal” I thought. The idea of a long time didn’t compute when I was in my early twenties. Because “a long time” doesn’t really […]
News
Public toilets letting us down
In his 1937 essay What is a City?, historian, sociologist and architecture critic Lewis Mumford described the city as a theatre — a space in which the social drama of urban life could play out. It’s unlikely he envisioned the daily drama of parents with young children, the sick, and the weak-of-bladder looking in vain […]
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NewsTo help IBD symptoms, target your microbiome with these foods
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Personal StoryCrohn’s disease dragged my body to a point where it barely functioned
I did not expect this to be my life; a 22-year-old female nursing student, chronically ill and fitted with a permanent ileostomy.
