How Did I Get IBD?

Have you ever wondered, how did I get IBD?

It’s probably one of the first thoughts you had when you were diagnosed.  Where did this disease come from?  What triggered it?  What are the causes of IBD?

While many people blame genetics. We now know that there is more at play than just a genetic predisposition to IBD. Often there are many factors involved with the onset of a chronic disease like IBD.

Let’s dive into the topic of how did I get IBD?  We discuss

• Genetics
• Environmental triggers
• What this could mean for the future of IBD.

 

My Story

In 2010, while in my first year of university, I treated my body poorly. I ate fast food multiple times a week. I drank a lot of soft drinks and alcohol. I was under a lot of stress.  Living on my own for the first time, and attending university full time. My diet consisted of fast food, cup noodles, packaged mac and cheese, and alcohol.

Then, in the midst of all these stressors, I got very bad salmonella poisoning.

Friends of mine from my hometown had come to Ottawa to visit me for the weekend. One of my friends made us dinner: roast chicken, potatoes and salad.

I dug into my dinner, and soon realized that my piece of chicken was not cooked all the way through. I was young (and dumb) and did not want to offend my friend. And by the time I realized I had already eaten more than half of the chicken breast. I secretly scraped the rest into the bin.

My friends left early the next morning. I never heard anything about any of them getting sick.

I spent the entire rest of the day bed ridden. To this day I have never been that sick.

I was vomiting and had constant diarrhea. After a few hours of this, only foam was coming out of both ends. I laid on my dorm bathroom floor, too weak to get up. I lost 8lbs (3.6kgs) in 24 hours.

I missed a geography midterm because I could not make it to class, and failed the class as a result.

 

And, worst of all, I am positive that this event sparked off my Crohn’s disease. Before this, I did not have any serious symptoms. And soon afterward I had my first flare-up of IBD. Although I was not diagnosed for 6 more years.

I believe that I had a genetic predisposition for IBD. Then an environmental trigger (the salmonella bacteria) flipped the genetic switch. Coupled with a stressful period in my life, and my extremely poor diet.

I now had IBD.

This May Not Be As Uncommon As You Think

 

When I was diagnosed with IBD I was told it was a genetic condition. I assumed this meant that there were no other factors involved. And that many of my family members would have IBD. This is not the case though.

I have one, second cousin who has IBD. And my father and sister both have IBS. I believe that environmental factors played a huge role in my  IBD diagnosis.

Although more research needs to be done on the triggers of IBD a few things have been discovered. It seems that there needs to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors to set off the disease.

Nature magazine, has studied whether there is a link between salmonella and IBD.

They found that 1.2% of individuals exposed to salmonella developed IBD. Compared to 0.5% of individuals not exposed to the bacteria (control group) This is nearly triple the risk.

So it is very plausible that my diagnosis of IBD is linked to that salmonella event.

What Does This Mean for the Future of IBD?

 

Controlling these environmental factors could be a way to reduce the risk of new IBD cases.

In theory, I carry the genetic predisposition for IBD. But if I was never exposed to salmonella or other food poisonings. One could theorize that I would not have IBD right now.

By reducing the risk of food poisoning, we may reduce the risk of IBD in general.

Many food poisonings come from meat. Eating a mostly plant-based diet, could reduce your risk of developing IBD. Especially if you are worried about your family members who may share a genetic predisposition.

It also means that I am very careful when cooking chicken now. I have a separate cutting board for meat. I always cut into my chicken to ensure doneness before I finish cooking it. I never eat chicken that I am unsure of.

 

The Bottom Line

 

The bottom line is that the cause of your disease does not really matter.  Focusing how ‘How Did I Get IBD?’ only takes you away from the present moment.  It can lead to trying place blame.  It  may only distract you from the real issue at hand.

How are you going to heal your body now that you have IBD?

Even though I have found the cause of my IBD, it has not really changed much. It has not changed how I manage the disease at all. Discovering the cause of your IBD is something that you may want to know for your own interest. But does not help with the long-term management of IBD.

I could even use this information to live in regret. I could dwell on the theory that if I hadn’t of gotten salmonella, I would not have IBD right now. But I know that having IBD is part of my life’s path. If I hadn’t gotten salmonella in 2010. I believe that another environmental trigger would have set off the disease somewhere along my life path.

 

If you cannot determine the cause of your IBD, or there seems like there may be many environmental triggers.  Do not worry.

The main thing to focus on is tangible changes that you can make right now that will make your life and future better.

The most important thing is listening to your body. And learning the best diet and lifestyle tricks to keep inflammation and symptoms at bay.