Forword xxi
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Conventions Used in This Book 2
What You’re Not to Read 2
Foolish Assumptions 2
How This Book is Organized 3
Part I: The Who, What, and Why of Crohn’s and Colitis 3
Part II: Getting Medical Help 3
Part III: Healing and Dealing with the Disease 4
Part IV: Living and Coping with Crohn’s and Colitis 4
Part V: Considering Special Populations with Crohn’s and Colitis 5
Part VI: The Part of Tens 5
Icons Used in this Book 5
Where to Go from Here 6
Part I: The Who, What, and Why of Crohn’s and Colitis 7
Chapter 1: Crohn’s and Colitis One Step at a Time 9
Knowing Crohn’s and Colitis 9
Getting the Treatment You Need 10
Recognizing That You’re Not Powerless 11
Living a Full Life with the Disease 12
Special Advice for Pregnant Women and Kids 12
Chapter 2: Defining Crohn’s and Colitis 13
What Crohn’s and Colitis Are 13
Looking at the big picture: Inflammatory bowel disease 13
Zeroing in on Crohn’s and colitis 14
The Signs and Symptoms 19
Blood in stool 21
Diarrhea 22
Abdominal pain 23
Urgency 23
Tenesmus 23
Other symptoms 23
Other Parts of the Body Involved in Crohn’s and Colitis 25
Bones and joints 25
Skin 27
Liver and gallbladder 28
Kidneys and bladder 29
Eyes 30
Complications of Crohn’s and Colitis 30
Intestinal complications 31
Nutritional complications 34
The cancer connection 38
Chapter 3: How the Digestive System Works 41
Tracking the Journey of Food inside the Gastrointestinal Tract 42
The oral cavity (or mouth) 42
The stomach 44
The small intestine 45
The large intestine 45
The anus 46
Getting Help from the Liver, Pancreas, and Gallbladder 46
Liver 46
Pancreas 47
Gallbladder 47
Understanding How Inflammation Affects the Digestive Process 48
Gastritis: Inflammation of the stomach 48
Enteritis: Inflammation of the small intestine 49
Colitis: Inflammation of the large intestine 50
Proctitis: Inflammation of the rectum 51
Chapter 4: Who Gets Crohn’s and Colitis and Why 53
Who Gets Crohn’s and Colitis 53
The Role of the Immune System in Crohn’s and Colitis 54
An immune system primer 54
When your gut’s immune system goes awry 58
Environmental Factors 58
Food 58
Air 60
Hygiene 60
Other environmental factors 61
Genes Gone Bad: The Role of Genetics 63
How genes work 63
The role of family history 64
Key genes for Crohn’s and colitis 65
Getting a genetic test 66
Part II: Getting Medical Help 67
Chapter 5: Assembling Your Healthcare Team 69
Finding the Right Doctor for You 69
Why you need a specialist 70
How to choose among the specialists in your area 70
Your first visit 71
Rounding Up Other Key Players 73
Your primary-care physician 73
Nurses 73
Physician assistants 75
Registered dietitians 75
Psychiatrists 76
Surgeons 76
Friends and family 76
Chapter 6: Getting a Diagnosis 77
Preparing for Your First Visit 77
Charting your signs and symptoms 78
Assembling your medical records 81
Talking to Your Doctor 82
Getting over the embarrassment 82
Communicating your symptoms 83
Being realistic about your expectations 83
Knowing What to Expect during a Physical Exam 84
General physical exam 84
Focused physical exam 84
Rectal exam 85
Being Poked and Prodded for Medical Tests 85
Blood tests 85
Stool tests 87
Scans 87
Endoscopy 88
Identifying Other Diseases That Mimic Crohn’s and Colitis 89
Chapter 7: Taking Medications for Crohn’s and Colitis 93
Steroids 94
Types of steroids 94
How steroids work 95
When steroids are used 96
Side effects of steroids 97
Aminosalicylates 98
Types of aminosalicylates 98
How aminosalicylates work 99
When aminosalicylates are used 100
Side effects of aminosalicylates 100
Immunomodulatory 101
Types of immunomodulators 101
How immunomodulators work 102
When immunomodulators are used 102
Side effects of immunomodulators 103
Biologics 104
Types of biologics 104
How biologics work 105
When biologics are used 105
Side effects of biologics 106
Antibiotics 109
Types of antibiotics 109
How antibiotics work 109
When antibiotics are used 109
Side effects of antibiotics 110
Other Medications 111
Antidiarrheals 111
Bile salt binders 112
Analgesics 112
Iron 113
Calcium and vitamin D 113
Vitamin B12 114
Chapter 8: Considering Surgery 117
When You May Need Surgery 117
For Crohn’s disease 117
For ulcerative colitis 118
Types of Surgery 119
Resectioning the small intestine 119
Removing a stricture 121
Treating fistulas 122
Draining abscesses 123
Resecting the colon 124
Pouch surgery 126
Complications from Surgery 128
Short-term complications 128
Long-term complications 131
Ostomy: What It Is and How to Deal with It 133
Types of ostomy 133
When you may need ostomy 134
How to care for your stoma 135
Your ostomy pouch 135
Ostomy complications 138
Part III: Healing and Dealing with the Disease 141
Chapter 9: Paying Attention to What You Eat 143
Considering the Impact of Nutrition 143
The impact on your immune system 144
The impact on wound healing 145
Identifying the Nutrients You Need 145
Macronutrients 145
Micronutrients 150
Fiber or No Fiber? That is the Question 154
Types of fiber 155
Why fiber matters 155
Fiber’s role in Crohn’s and colitis 156
Considering Specialized Diets for Crohn’s and Colitis 157
Liquid diets 157
Low-residue diets 158
Lactose-free diets 160
Elemental diets 161
Nutritional Support: When You Can’t Go It Alone 161
Enteral feeding: Feeding through a tube 161
Total parenteral nutrition: Feeding directly into your veins 162
Nutrition supplements: Boosting your diet 163
Chapter 10: Preventing Health Problems 165
Getting Vaccinated 165
Why vaccination matters 166
Which vaccines you need 166
Caring for Your Skin: It’s Not Just Cosmetic 170
Identifying the skin complications you may face 170
Recognizing and reducing your risk of skin cancer 171
Caring for your skin “down there”: Perianal skin care 172
Boning Up on Bone Health 173
Opening up about osteopenia and osteoporosis 174
Seeing what Crohn’s and colitis can do to your bones 175
Managing bone loss 176
Screening for Cancers 178
Colon cancer 178
Cervical cancer 180
Chapter 11: Alternative and Complementary Therapies 181
Let’s Get Physical: Exercise 182
Recognizing the health benefits of exercise 182
Looking at how exercise can help with Crohn’s and colitis 183
Gathering some useful exercise tips 184
Working Over-Thyme: Herbal Therapy 185
Healing with herbs 185
Identifying beneficial herbs for Crohn’s and colitis — and knowing which herbs to avoid 186
Homeopathy 187
Getting help from homeopathy? 188
Homeopathy and Crohn’s and colitis 189
Traditional Chinese Medicine 189
Understanding traditional Chinese medicine 190
Controlling Crohn’s and colitis with traditional Chinese medicine 190
Mind-Body Intervention 191
Aromatherapy 191
Hypnotherapy 192
Yoga and meditation 192
Music therapy 192
Support groups 192
T’ai chi 193
Worm Therapy 193
Putting worms to work for your health 193
Seeing how worms can help Crohn’s and colitis 194
Part IV: Living and Coping with Crohn’s and Colitis 195
Chapter 12: Living with Crohn’s and Colitis 197
Dealing with Your Diagnosis 197
Stage 1: Denial 198
Stage 2: Anger 199
Stage 3: Bargaining 201
Stage 4: Depression 201
Stage 5: Acceptance 202
People Who Need People . . .: Keeping Your Relationships Going Strong 202
So, what’s new with you? Telling people about your diagnosis 203
Come here often? Dating with Crohn’s and colitis 205
Like a horse and carriage: Keeping your marriage strong 206
Caring for a Loved One with Crohn’s or Colitis 207
Finding little things that help a lot 207
Helping during a flare 208
Helping after surgery 208
Getting the help you need for yourself 209
Chapter 13: Avoiding Triggers 211
Smoking: Why You Need to Quit 211
Drugs: Just Say No? 214
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs 214
Antibiotics 215
Stressing Out 215
Food, Glorious Food 217
Artificial sweeteners 217
High-fat foods 218
High-fiber foods 218
Caffeine 219
Dairy products 220
Alcohol 221
Mr. Sandman, Bring Me a Dream 222
What sleep does for your immune system 222
The effect of sleep on Crohn’s and colitis 222
How to get a good night’s sleep 223
Chapter 14: Working and Traveling with Crohn’s and Colitis 225
Working with Crohn’s and Colitis 225
Working your job hunt around your disease 226
Telling your employer and co-workers about your condition (or keeping it to yourself) 226
Starting your day off right 228
Planning your commute 228
Packing an emergency kit 228
Speed bumps ahead: Coping with job-related challenges 229
Taking advantage of the Family and Medical Leave Act 230
On the Road Again: Traveling with Crohn’s and Colitis 232
Assembling a vacation survival guide 232
Getting immunized before you travel abroad 233
Packing for your trip 233
Avoiding travelers’ diarrhea 235
Finding a bathroom . . . fast! 236
Part V: Considering Special Populations with Crohn’s and Colitis 195
Chapter 15: Kids with Crohn’s and Colitis 239
Identifying How Crohn’s and Colitis are Different in Kids Than They are in Adults 240
Gender 240
Symptoms 240
Effect on growth and development 241
Getting a Diagnosis 243
Managing Crohn’s and Colitis in Kids 244
Monitoring medications 244
Paying attention to nutrition 248
Vaccinating your child 249
Growing Up with Crohn’s and Colitis 250
Preschool: C is for Crohn’s and colitis 251
Surviving school 251
Turning 18: Adulthood begins (at least in theory) 252
Going off to college 253
Chapter 16: Having Sex and Getting Pregnant with Crohn’s and Colitis 255
Sex and Fertility 255
Sexual activity 256
Contraception 257
Your menstrual cycle 259
Fertility 259
Pregnancy 260
Pregnancy planning 261
While you’re pregnant 262
The big day and beyond 266
Part VI: The Part of Tens 269
Chapter 17: Ten Myths about Inflammatory Bowel Disease 271
Diet is the Cure 271
Kids Get It from Their Parents 272
It’s Caused by Stress 272
You Can’t Get Pregnant if You Have It 273
Surgery Is Required 273
If You Have It, You’re Guaranteed to Get Cancer 274
You’re Responsible for Your Flares 275
Surgery Cures It 275
You Can Stop Taking Your Medications if You Feel Better 276
You Have to Stop Taking Your Medications during Pregnancy 277
Chapter 18: Ten Reliable Resources 279
The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America 279
The United Ostomy Associations of America 280
You and IBD 281
MyIBD.org 281
WebMD 282
Mayo Clinic 282
The Culinary Couple’s Creative Colitis Cookbook 283
The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers 284
KidsHealth 284
IBD U 285
Glossary 287
Index 297
Tauseef Ali, MD, is an expert in the field of inflammatory bowel disease. Currently, he serves as a faculty member in the Section of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. He is also the director of the OU Physicians Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. Dr. Ali has served as an academic editor-in-chief of the World Journal of Gastroenterology.
![]() |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
![]() |