On the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast, Dr. Edward Loftus Jr., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, discusses diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease and treatment options. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term used to describe disorders that involve chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. There are two common types: ulcerative colitis, which causes ulcers, or sores, in the lining of the large intestine and rectum, and Crohn’s disease, which causes inflammation of the lining of any part of the digestive tract. Symptoms of IBD usually involve severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue and weight loss. IBD can be debilitating and sometimes lead to life-threatening complications. While there is no cure for IBD, treatment can reduce the inflammation that triggers your signs and symptoms, and, in the best cases, lead to long-term remission.
Also on the podcast, Dr. Avni Joshi, a pediatric allergy and immunology specialist at Mayo Clinic, shares the latest research on the incidence of food allergies in different age groups. And Dr. Charles Bruce, medical director of the Life Sciences Incubator on Mayo Clinic's Florida campus, explains a new collaboration between Mayo Clinic and Georgia Tech. The Convergence Science Program pairs Georgia Tech's engineering expertise with a Mayo physician's ideas to tackle a clinical problem in need of a solution.