Tips on Living with a Chronic Illness During College
WILMINGTON, Del.--(COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Nov 3, 2003--Starting college is hard enough without having to deal with an embarrassing problem that can send students running on a moment`s notice. And Crohn`s disease can do just that. Most often diagnosed among young adults between the ages of 15 and 30, Crohn`s is a form of inflammatory bowel disease that affects about a half-million men and women in the United States.
What is Crohn`s Disease?
Crohn`s disease causes inflammation most often in the lower part of the small intestine, but it can affect any part of the digestive tract, making it difficult to diagnose since symptoms can be similar to irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and other intestinal disorders.
Some symptoms of Crohn`s disease include diarrhea, crampy abdominal pain and fever. Ranging from mild to severe, a loss of appetite and weight may occur, as well as joint pain and redness and soreness of the eyes.
Although a cure has yet to be discovered for Crohn`s disease, it is possible to achieve periods of remission or improvement when symptoms subside or go away completely. These periods of remission are usually interrupted by flares (active episodes of the disease) when the symptoms return or become worse.
''For students who are diagnosed with mild to moderate active Crohn`s disease involving the ileum and/or the ascending colon, ENTOCORT(R) EC (budesonide capsule), is a prescription drug designed to treat and control the symptoms of Crohn`s disease by releasing the medicine into the intestine, which causes fewer severe side effects than other corticosteroids that are released into the bloodstream,'' says Dr. Ellen Scherl, Director of IBD, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
Tips for Dealing with Crohn`s Disease in College
Peter Burdock, a junior at Rutgers University, who was diagnosed with Crohn`s disease at age 13, says taking simple precautions can help students feel a greater sense of control over their disease.
''Being open about the disease to friends and coworkers takes a lot of the pressure off, especially when a flare-up occurs,'' says Burdock, ''Explain how day-to-day functioning can be affected by symptoms, and keep some educational brochures on-hand to pass along if you don`t want to get into too much detail about your personal experience.''
Other helpful tips from Dr. Scherl to help make college a smoother transition include the following:
* Familiarize student health service personnel with your case history and seek a recommendation of a local gastroenterologist located in the college town.
* Check around your dorm and class buildings to be knowledgeable of where the nearest bathrooms are located at all times.
* Pass along physician numbers and medication information to roommates and close friends in case of emergency.
* Rent or buy a small refrigerator for your dorm room to help avoid foods and beverages that might trigger flare-ups (coffee, alcohol, chocolate, raw vegetables).
* If you have to eat dorm food, consider talking with the food service to inform them of any social needs or issues to accommodate a special diet.
* Inform professors and employers of your condition in advance to convey you are committed to school and your job and will work to minimize missed time, if necessary.
* Join a support group with other college Crohn`s sufferers by contacting the Crohn`s and Colitis Foundation of America, an organization with local chapters nationwide. (www.ccfa.org).
Entocort(R) EC Information
ENTOCORT(R) EC allows patients the convenience of once daily dosing - 9 mg (3x3 mg capsules) per day. The safety and efficacy of ENTOCORT(R) EC in the treatment of active Crohn`s disease has not been established beyond eight weeks. The active ingredient in ENTOCORT(R) EC is released in the intestines, the primary target site for Crohn`s disease, and is then quickly and extensively metabolized, preventing the majority of the drug from entering the systemic circulation.
Some patients using ENTOCORT(R) EC may experience headache, respiratory infection, nausea, and symptoms of hypercorticosterism (although less often than with other steroids).
For more information on ENTOCORT(R) EC, log on to www.entocortec.com. For more information about Crohn`s disease, please call CCFA at 800-343-3637, or visit www.ccfa.org.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the top five pharmaceutical companies in the world with healthcare sales of over $17.8 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, oncology, cardiovascular, neuroscience and respiratory products. In the United States, AstraZeneca is a $9.3 billion healthcare business with more than 12,000 employees. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global and European) as well as the FTSE4Good Index.
For more information about AstraZeneca, please visit www.astrazeneca-us.com.
|
