Health
Related: About this forumIrritable bowel, ulcerative colitis linked to intestinal fungi
By Thomas H. Maugh II
June 8, 2012, 9:44 a.m.
Bacteria in the gut play a crucial role in human health, and imbalances in bacterial populations can contribute to many disorders. New research suggests that fungi, though not as common in the intestines as bacteria, may also play a role in causing and modulating disease.
The results could lead to new treatments for conditions such as irritable bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. An estimated 1.4 million Americans have some form of irritable bowel disease, which can cause inflammation, ulcers in the bowel, abdominal pain, diarrhea, bleeding, fatigue, weight loss and loss of appetite. An additional 30,000 cases are diagnosed annually.
An estimated 100 trillion individual bacteria reside in the intestines -- more than the number of cells in the human body. They play crucial roles, such as aiding digestion of food, producing necessary vitamins and suppressing the growth of harmful microbes.
But according to Dr. David M. Underhill of the Inflammatory Bowel and Immunobiology Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, there has been little corresponding study of fungi in the intestine.
more
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-fungus-irritable-bowel-20120608,0,4122971.story
Ian David
(69,059 posts)KT2000
(20,587 posts)of so-called "alternative medicine" being years ahead of the mainstream.
Are you really trying to push such nonsense?
This is an extremely preliminary study. It's value is minimal, and things are likely much more complicated. Further, it has NOTHING to do with the BS pushed as "alternative medicine."
Sheesh.
enki23
(7,790 posts)nothing at all. Or do you mean the crazy bullshit about yeast being the one true cause of all disease? Or are you referring to the bullshit that attempting to overwrite your natural gut flora with monocultures of foreign flora via "probiotics" is a super awesome idea? In any case, I was under the impression (from so-called "alternative healthcare" that it was all actually caused by:
subluxations!
no, it's blocked energy flow!
sorry, chi imbalances!
uh huh. bad fung shui!
no way dumbass. it's thinking negative thoughts!
it's yeast yeast yeast!
no, not yeast. liver flukes!
no, not liver flukes. GMO's!
no, not GMOs. it's from eating things other than pure sunlight!
no, not that. it's because you need more rhino horn!
not rhino horn, dumbass. it's tiger balls you need!
no, it's echinacea. or was it black cohosh...
no, it's a preparation of plutonium diluted 1:100 one hundred times!
no... all you need is to stick needles in the right spots
no... you need your neck cracked
sorry, you need a foot rub
rather, you need to sleep in a pyramid
or wear the right crystal
or smell the right flowers
or....
or...
flamingdem
(39,321 posts)Please keep us informed on this -- I wonder what they'll use for a remedy
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)Domingo Tavella
(41 posts)are elicited in decent people by listening to Romney. If he gets elected, bowel irritation and nausea might develop into fully-fledged diarrhea and vomit spells.
longship
(40,416 posts)Just thought I'd help with the sourcing on the research.
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)And no butts about it!
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)excruciating pain, humiliation, bathroom urgency up to 25 times in 12 hours...anemia, late-stage crippling side effects, transfusions, social ostracism, cruelty, abuse, and trivialization from strangers and even a few in the medical community.....
Plus an abusive, violent, mentally ill mother--the stress aggravated the flare ups.
The stress of trying to lead life, never knowing when the dreaded public pants crapping might happen...your mind always focused on top priority #1: Live through the pain, find a bathroom in time, clench your butt so you don't do something to humiliate yourself any further.
I had major surgery --emergency ileostomy (bag O' shit, in the common parlance), age 19. Just woke up with it after the surgery---no one had discussed bags and such during my manymany many hospitalizations and visits with my Gastroenterologist. Surprise, surprise!
More major surgery age 22.
Ai Yi.
Fun times. Fun times.
susanr516
(1,425 posts)except he was 14 when his problems started. He is allergic to both sulfa and penicillin, so there wasn't a lot the doctors could do. He got his ileostomy 3 days before his 18th birthday in 1969. He did great until 2000, when his stoma herniated. We fought with the insurance company for over 3 months to get a referral to a colo-rectal surgeon. He waited so long for the surgery that the portion of his small intestine trapped between his skin and the abdominal muscles was necrotic, and he almost died. Fortunately, he recovered and the only problem he has is some pain from adhesions.
He also had the surgery fully explained before the procedure--it really sucks that you were left in the dark until after the surgery.
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)god, makes me mad!!!!! I'm glad to know he made it through that and is good now!!!!!!!!!!
it's a horrible disease, I fucking hate it, and I hate the added burden of ostracism that goes with it.
I was just strolling with a frined a moment ago, at work...she was telling some stories about her high school years...drama class and some other activities...and I realized (again) how most people had a life that I can't imagine. Having activites, being involved...I've come a long way from where I was--lot of emotional damage, yes. But successful people, people with expansive lives tend to have come from childhood experiences where they were involved in things and with people.
I'm just curious; did your husband end up being very isolated and confined at home because of his disease, or prevented from doing the things he wanted to do? Or have no idea even of what he wanted or could do? How did it impact his adult life?
susanr516
(1,425 posts)during high school. He was on such a restricted diet that eating lunch at school or eating out with friends was impossible. Of course, having to run to the restroom 20 times a day doesn't do much for your social life, either. He had to take adaptive gym class and actually had home-bound instruction for a semester when the bleeding and cramping got really bad. He was down to 103 lbs. (he's 5'9" by the time he had his surgery.
About the only way it really impacted his life was that he didn't get the chance to think about a career; it was always one medical crisis after another. As he put it, it's hard to think about what you're going to do for a living when the doctors are trying to keep you from dying. When all his classmates started college, he was learning how to change bags. He did end up getting a good job at AT&T (he just retired.) I think he learned to deal with it because he has a great sense of humor. My kids have always joked that when Dad says, "Oh, shit!" it could be a literal description. It might be easier for men. I don't know, but I think it might be harder for women to find clothing that covers the appliance without it showing. Also, accidents happen; clips fail, adhesives break down unexpectedly. There have been several times that my husband had to leave work to shower and change clothes. Add to that the fact that, even though you've had the surgery, there's lots of foods you still have to avoid. He's also been hospitalized a couple of times with a simple stomach virus because ileostomates dehydrate so quickly.
A big hug to you, my friend. It's not an easy life, but you and my hubby are both survivors.
Demeter
(85,373 posts)and ignore the idiots. You have saved many a sick person a lot of pain and surgery and death, I'll warrant. Including my daughter.
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)It's just hilarious. Fucking Hilarious.
I don't live my life looking back at the wreckage all the time anymore, but it happened, it was the only life I knew, and it gets triggered sometimes...........
yep, ignore the idiots.
LeftishBrit
(41,210 posts)This shouldn't be dismissed out of hand, but more research is needed. It may be, for example, that people with bowel disorders are more susceptible to intestinal fungi rather than that the fungi cause the disorders.
HuckleB
(35,773 posts)It's so preliminary as to be almost worthless.