According to the CDC, 3.1 million adults in the US have inflammatory bowel disease. The condition, which causes diarrhea, abdominal cramping, bloody stool, and fatigue, often leaves patients more susceptible to other chronic illnesses.
Fortunately, there are treatments for inflammatory bowel disease that can manage its symptoms.
What Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to conditions that cause chronic inflammation in the tissues of the digestive tract. IBD typically refers to one of two conditions, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
The symptoms of both conditions are the same. However, both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease can range in severity from a mild illness to a debilitating or life-threatening condition.
What Causes Inflammatory Bowel Conditions?
Inflammatory bowel diseases are autoimmune conditions and result from the body’s natural immune response incorrectly attacking itself. The immune system’s attack inflames the gastrointestinal system and damages the epithelial cells.
The epithelial cells form the mucus that lines and protects the gastrointestinal tract. When the immune system destroys the cells, the intestines lose their protection, and bacteria erode the lining of the intestines. As a result, the intestines become inflamed and damaged, causing ulcers and bleeding.
The condition is painful and breaks down the gut microbiome, causing patients to be more susceptible to other diseases.
What Is Regenerative Medicine Therapy?
Regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, is a groundbreaking form of alternative medicine that uses the body’s healing response to treat illnesses and injuries.
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that lie dormant in the body until needed. While most cells in the body can only divide to create two daughter cells a finite number of times, stem cells can divide infinitely. In addition to dividing, stem cells can also differentiate to form two specialized cells, such as muscle or brain cells.
Since many specialized cells in the body can’t divide at all, stem cells serve an essential role in repairing damage and replacing destroyed cells. They also contain immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, which all facilitate their healing purpose in the body.
How Can Stem Cell Therapy Help IBD?
Patients suffering from IBD can benefit from all the healing properties of stem cells. Since stem cells have the ability to help regulate the immune system, reduce inflammation, and repair and replace damaged cells, they are a promising option for soothing and healing the symptoms of IBD.
Early studies show promise in using stem cells to treat IBD, with some patients experiencing reduced mucosal inflammation and the ability to maintain long-term remission after stem cell treatments.
Studies continue to learn more about how stem cell therapy can treat IBD, but the early results offer hope for those suffering from the painful condition.
This post was written by a medical professional at https://www.stemedix.com. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions.