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SD public defense duties shift from counties to state; SCOTUS appears skeptical of restricting government communications with social media companies; Trump lawyers say he can't make bond; new scholarships aim to connect class of 2024 to high-demand jobs.

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The SCOTUS weighs government influence on social media, and who groups like the NRA can do business with. Biden signs an executive order to advance women's health research and the White House tells Israel it's responsible for the Gaza humanitarian crisis.

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Midwest regenerative farmers are rethinking chicken production, Medicare Advantage is squeezing the finances of rural hospitals and California's extreme swing from floods to drought has some thinking it's time to turn rural farm parcels into floodplains.

Crohn's and Colitis: Raising Awareness of Invisible Illness

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Monday, December 5, 2016   

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – This is Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week, aimed at increasing understanding of a condition often called the "invisible disease” – although the 78,000 people who have Crohn's or colitis in the Carolinas will tell you it is anything but.

Crohn’s and colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases that cause pain, weight loss, exhaustion and other symptoms that are not curable. Jordan Sorrells of Charlotte has had Crohn's for 20 years; he said it's not always easy to educate people about it, because some of the symptoms are unpleasant to talk about.

"It's definitely one of those diseases that people don't want to talk about," said Sorrells. "It's not polite dinner conversation. Things that I've had to deal with over the years, the main things I deal with, are fatigue, weight loss, and they just depend on my stress level and everything that's going on."

The causes of Crohn's disease or colitis are not well understood, but diet and stress are known to aggravate symptoms. Those symptoms include abdominal cramps, fever, weight loss, night sweats, persistent diarrhea and rectal bleeding.

According to Christina Humble, executive director of the Carolina chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, it's likely you know someone who has an inflammatory bowel disease and don't even realize it.

"I think it's just watching what you say, because things that they don't like to hear is like, 'Do you have an eating disorder?' Or a lot of people think you don't look sick, but you really are because it's internal, it's not outside,” Humble explained.

If you think you have symptoms of IBD, Sorrels said, it's important to see your doctor, since treatments can help you live with the disease.

"Crohn's and colitis have so many varying symptoms and they can change from person to person,” he said. "It's so individualized that if you think you have any symptoms that relate to fatigue, weight loss, diarrhea, constipation, running to the bathroom, have an upset stomach – if something seems off, just go see a doctor and ask questions."

According to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, as many as 70,000 new cases of IBD are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, and as many as 80,000 children are living with the condition.

For more information, visit the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America's website at ccfa.org.



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