Potentially lost in the holiday shuffle is an important awareness week not just in the GI community, but the healthcare community as a whole. December 1st-7th is known nationally as Crohn’s and Colitis (also known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease) Awareness Week. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) affects everyone, regardless of age, gender, color, race, or sexual orientation. The disease is violent and can wreak havoc on many parts of the digestive tract, as well as the mental health of the sufferer. Over the years, the IBD community has grown stronger than ever. This year, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation has begun sharing the #myIBD story hashtag as a way for individuals not to feel ashamed, but to share their story in the fight against IBD. Here at GANJ, we encourage all patients and staff to share a story they, or their loved ones may have so we can make this invisible disease visible for all to see.
Here at Gastroenterology Associates of New Jersey, our 19 physicians see patients with IBD every day. It is our duty to set the individual on a path to wellness, both mentally and physically, with the goal to leave this disease in their rear-view mirror. As big advocates to the awareness week, we encourage anyone who feels they may be showing signs of IBD to come into any of our state-of-the-art locations and be seen by a specialist. Remember, you are not alone. According to inflammatoryboweldisease.net, more than 1.6 million Americans are living with the disease today. Alarmingly, the rise in children with the disease has prompted healthcare experts to suggest patients be seen at the first sign of symptoms, so the condition can be treated at a younger age. If left untreated, damage can be done.
To read more on Inflammatory Bowel Disease: https://www.ganjllc.com/conditions/inflammatory-bowel-disease-ibd/
To schedule an appointment with one of our healthcare experts: https://www.ganjllc.com/make-an-appointment/
