[Health Tip] 60% of Patients Aged 10-40 Have Ulcerative Colitis... "Treatable with Herbal Medicine"

Recently, the number of patients with ulcerative colitis has been increasing, especially among the younger generation. Inflammatory bowel disease is a refractory condition characterized by chronic and recurrent inflammation and ulcers in the colon and small intestine without a specific cause, resulting in symptoms such as bloody stools, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss.

According to statistics from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of patients visiting hospitals for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease increased by about 25% over five years, from 60,741 in 2017 to 80,289 in 2021. Among all patients, those in their 10s to 40s account for more than 60%. Professor Park Jae-woo of the Department of Korean Medicine at Gangdong Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital stated, “Ulcerative colitis was a very rare disease in Korea, but it appears to be continuously increasing due to the combination of westernized dietary habits and changes in living environments.”

Inflammatory bowel disease is often mistaken for simple enteritis and assumed to improve soon. Missing the treatment window can be dangerous due to complications such as intestinal strictures, so if symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloody stools persist, prompt medical consultation is necessary. Additionally, to prevent complications or worsening symptoms, it is important to avoid overwork and maintain consistent eating and sleeping habits.

Professor Park said, “Unlike other diseases, inflammatory bowel disease is not aimed at complete cure but at reaching and maintaining a normal state where inflammation is sufficiently reduced, so conservative treatment through Korean medicine is possible.” He added, “If conventional Western medical treatments are insufficient or have severe side effects, combining alternative treatments such as Korean medicine can be helpful.” In Korean medicine, mild to moderate stages are mainly targeted for treatment, using a combination of herbal medicine, acupuncture, and moxibustion. During remission, treatments to suppress symptom recurrence are also applied.

In Korean medicine, digestive organs such as the stomach and small intestine are referred to as Biwi (脾胃), considered the source of producing Qi (氣). For patients with inflammatory bowel disease, it is beneficial to consume foods that strengthen Biwi function. It is advisable to avoid caffeine-containing drinks like coffee and green tea, and instead consume foods such as yam, glutinous rice, crow beans, jujube, and teas like barley tea and solomon’s seal tea that enhance Biwi function. Along with this, reducing the intake of cold or chilled foods helps maintain gastrointestinal function.