A diagnosis of an inflammatory bowel disease, Crohns and Ulcerative Colitis, can be life altering. Ulcerative Colitis usually develops slowly causing painful inflammation and ulcers in the intestine. Symptoms range from diarrhea, bleeding, severe pain, fatigue and increased frequency and urgency to defecate. The cause of Ulcerative Colitis is still under investigation. One theory is that abnormal bacteria and/or parasites or virus may cause the immune system to go into overdrive causing the inflammation. There does seem to be genetic and environmental factors that also predispose a patient to Ulcerative Colitis. Recent research suggests that if we live too sterile of a childhood, we do not prepare our adult immune system to deal with micro-organisms.
Our gut microbiome is essential to our long-term health. Conventional treatments include immune modulating medication, and in severe cases patients need to undergo surgical resections of their colon.
Clinic Naturopathic Doctors approach Ulcerative Colitis through diet, natural supplementation, intravenous anti-inflammatory treatments and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Testing can help to identify trigger foods and altered gut microbiome. Dr. Nardella and Dr. Haggarty use oral supplements that have shown to reduce inflammation and help with absorption of nutrients.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy utilizes one-hundred percent oxygen under pressure to reduce inflammation. A recent study published in 2018 has showed that Ulcerative Colitis patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy achieved faster and more sustained clinical remission than those patients in the “sham” group. No serious side effects were noted. Drs. Nardella and Haggarty have been using hyperbaric oxygen for over a decade to treat many disorders including Ulcerative Colitis with significantly positive results.
