By Wayne Persky |
- Genetics
- Active disease
- Fatal or crippling accidents
- Physical or neurological trauma
- Stress, whether independent, or associated with any of the above
- Disposition, mood, and attitude toward life
- Isolation and loneliness
- Inadequate sleep, usually due to one of the above
- Toxins in the air we breathe
- Toxins in our diet
- Chronic nutrient deficiencies
Statistics for MC in particular do not exist, but statistics for other IBDs show that about 15% of Crohn's disease patients have a family member who has an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). And members of our discussion and support forum have posted about instances where other family members, and even pets, also have MC or another IBD. Genome association studies have resulted in the discovery of over 200 loci (location on chromosomes) where genetic associations with the development of IBD can occur (Loddo, and Romano, 2015).1 Specific research regarding genetic associations of collagenous colitis (CC) leads to the following conclusion (Stahl, et al., 2020):2
In severe MC cases (and presumably other autoimmune diseases, especially including IBDs), the clinical symptoms can be so intimidating and oppressive that the possibility of developing a disorder that mimics PTSD exists. In other words we may develop such an intense fear of reactions, or a relapse of the disease, that we develop an unreasonable fear that tends to disrupt our lives, similar to PTSD.
Active duty military personnel with PTSD may have an elevated risk of a range of autoimmune diseases, regardless of combat experience or prior trauma. Future research is needed to understand potential mechanisms which may inform future mitigative strategies in reducing extra-neuropsychiatric health problems among those with PTSD.
In this study, among over 120,000 participants, those who had a history of PTSD showed a 58% increased risk for developing an autoimmune disease, compared with those who had no PTSD history. Furthermore, issues such as body mass index, smoking status, alcohol use, combat experience, and a prior history of physical or sexual trauma (that did not cause PTSD) had no significant effect on the risk found by this study. Obviously, PTSD, and PTSD-like symptoms should be taken seriously, not only because they increase the risk of developing autoimmune disease, but also because presumably, they increase the risk of disease relapse, may intensify symptoms, and may prevent remission; not only for MC, but probably for all patients who have an autoimmune disease.
But aside from that, a positive outlook on life can help to minimize our MC symptoms. Without a plan, MC appears to be a hopeless cycle of miserable symptoms, with no end in sight. So it's not surprising that such a situation can lead to depression and a generally gloomy outlook on life. Once we understand how to control the symptoms, even well before we're able to actually gain control of the symptoms, our mood and our general outlook on life will be greatly improved, simply because we now have a reason for hope. Compared with the oppression caused by hopelessness, hope can convey almost magical qualities to our persona.
Along with the fear of straying too far from our bathroom, we have the fear of not being able to locate a public restroom in time, in the event that we should need one whenever we take a chance and leave the house to run some errands. But besides that, most of us have a fear of having to use a public restroom, anyway, due to the abnormal noises, odor, extended evacuation time, and occasional other issues (such as an embarrassing accident), associated with this disease. The resulting tenure of isolation, and the inevitable feeling of loneliness is one of the main reasons why I consider MC to be a primary candidate in the competition for the “Loneliest Disease in the World”award.
The National Institute on Aging states that prolonged isolation carries a health risk equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, as noted in an online article by the University of New Hampshire, which also points out that a study based on a national poll by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), offers the following recommendations for addressing loneliness issues (Kroll, 2022, May 02):4
- Being outdoors (87% of respondents)
- Physical activity (72% of respondents)
- Hobbies, skills or projects (72% of respondents)
- Connecting with others in person (83%) of respondents
- Connecting by phone or virtually (79% of respondents)
And in addition, the malabsorption issues associated with MC tend to cause deficiencies in magnesium, vitamin D, many of the B vitamins, and sometimes, others. Many medications, including corticosteroids, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), antibiotics, and others, are known to deplete certain vitamins and minerals, and even common beverages such as coffee, deplete magnesium.
As many of us have found, eating organically produced foods helps to minimize the symptoms of MC. And not coincidentally, this probably occurs because selecting organically produced foods tends to minimize much of the risk imposed by toxins in the conventional food chain.
Whether we choose organically produced foods or conventionally produced foods for our diet, it could be argued that this disease is doing us a favor by forcing us to clean up our diet, whether we like it, or not. And the net result will surely be increased longevity and improved quality of life. It seems ironic that these long-term health benefits are due solely to the fact that we were lucky enough to receive a wake-up call in the form of a lifelong disease (MC).