Caring for Crohn's & UC

The ABC’s of Crohn’s Disease & UC: “F”

November 16, 2012 at 1:06 am Rebecca K. 2 comments

I am really doing a bad job at keeping up with this blog. Every time I start to get into a groove with it, something pops up and I get very busy and this suffers. So I apologize to those out there who read my blog and promise that I will make an effort to really post more than once a week.

Today’s post is a continuation of my ABC’s series. Without further ado, I bring you the letter F.

Family: If a parent, sibling, or other family member has had Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, you have a higher risk of having the disease.

Fart: Self explanatory

Fecal Occult Blood Test: A type of test used in diagnosing Crohn’s and UC. It can help to assess the severity of the disease.

Fever: IBD patients can experience fevers during flares from time to time. Fevers are also sometimes a symptom of the disease during diagnosis.

Fiber: A big NO-NO for most IBDers. Fiber makes the gut work harder when digesting and can cause all sorts of problems. A lot of patients are told to go on a low-fiber diet at one point when having Crohn’s and UC.

Fish Oil: Some patients have promoted fish oil supplements as a good way to treat Crohn’s and UC. However, there is no strong data showing whether or not it helps.

Fissure: According to the Mayo Clinic, a fissure is “a crack, or cleft, in the anus or skin around the anus where infections can occur. It’s often associated with painful bowel movements.” Fissures can lead to fistulas (see below).

Fistula: Like the fissure, fistulas are common complications of Crohn’s and UC. A fistula is an abnormal connection between parts or your intestine, between your intestine and skin, or between your intestine and another organ. The most common fistulas are ones that occur around the anus (perianal).

Flagyl: An antibiotic commonly used in Crohn’s and UC patients. Flagyl can be used to treat infections after perforations (Dan took it after his) and fistulas and abscesses.

Flare: One of the things that IBDers dread the most, a flare occurs when symptoms of Crohn’s or UC return after a period of either remission or low-disease activity. Bottom line: they suck.

Flexible Sigmoidoscopy: A kind of endoscopic procedure used to diagnose Crohn’s and UC (see the D & E installment to read more about endoscopies).

Fulminant colitis: A rare and life-threatening form of Ulcerative Colitis. Fulminant colitis affects the entire colon and causes severe pain, diarrhea and, sometimes, dehydration and shock. Fulminant colitis can cause serious complications like colon rupture and toxic megacolon. Basically, you do not want to have this kind of UC (if you have to have UC at all).

P.S. if you haven’t done so already, please like Caring for Crohn’s on Facebook and follow me on Twitter!

Entry filed under: ABC Series.