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Health Tip: IBD May Contribute to Other Health Problems

By HealthCast on March 11, 2010

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes a number of disorders that lead to an inflammation of the intestines.

But IBD can affect much more than just the digestive system. The National Women’s Health Information Center says IBD can contribute to these health problems:

Arthritis and pain in the joints.
Fractures and weakening of the bones.
Problems with the eye, including inflammation.
An inflamed liver.
Gallstones or kidney stones.
Skin ulcers or a red, bumpy rash.
Problems with growth and delayed onset of puberty in children and teens.
Problems with the lungs, although such cases are rare.

Source: HealthDay

Are You Living with Psoriasis?

A growing knowledge of the skin disease called psoriasis is leading to greater treatment choices, including personalized therapies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports.

Psoriasis is an immune system disorder that causes overproduction of skin cells, resulting in scaling, pain, swelling, redness and heat. The condition affects about 7.5 million Americans.

“As we better understand the disease, researchers know more about what specific factors to target in order to develop effective treatments,” FDA dermatologist Dr. Melinda McCord said in an agency news release.

There is no cure for psoriasis, so the main goals of treatments are to stop skin cell overproduction and reduce inflammation. Current therapies include medicines applied to the skin (topical), light treatment (phototherapy), or drugs taken by mouth or given by injection.

Doctors used to take a step-by-step approach, starting patients with mild to moderate psoriasis on topical therapy. If that was ineffective, doctors moved on to phototherapy or drug treatment.

Health Tip: IBD May Contribute to Other Health Problems

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Are You Living with Psoriasis?

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