(Family Features) It may not be something you like to talk about, but if you have gastrointestinal (GI) problems, your symptoms may be far more common than you think. According to data from the American Gastroenterological Association, 60-70 million people living in the United States have gut health concerns.

Two common conditions are irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). They’re often confused for one another, but these are actually two different GI disorders.

IBS is a syndrome; it is defined by a group of symptoms, does not cause inflammation and rarely requires hospitalization or surgery. IBD, on the other hand, is an umbrella term used to describe disorders that cause chronic inflammation of your GI tract.

The disease is more common than you may realize; a study led by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation found nearly 1 in 100 people living in the U.S. have IBD. The two most common forms of IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Understanding IBD Symptoms
Because it poses serious health risks and can cause permanent damage to your intestines, it’s important to be aware of what IBD is and recognize the symptoms. Your primary care doctor or gastroenterologist can help if you have concerns about these symptoms:

• Intense, crampy pain that doesn’t go away in a day or two or has been present on and off for weeks or longer
• A notable change in bowel movement frequency, whether more or less often
• Frequent diarrhea over several weeks, or loose stools multiple times a day
• Frequent constipation, or constipation alternating with diarrhea
• Urgency on a regular basis or inability to hold back the bowel movement before reaching the bathroom
• Blood with bowel movements
• Mucus in your stool regularly or paired with pain or other symptoms
• Always feeling as though you aren’t fully emptying your bowels

Other symptoms that may have a variety of causes but need extra attention especially if you notice them along with any of the symptoms above include pain outside of the gut, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss. In addition, children with IBD may have delays in growth and the onset of puberty.

Diagnosing IBD
No single test can confirm a Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis diagnosis. Your medical history and information obtained from diagnostic testing can exclude other potential causes of your symptoms, since gastrointestinal symptoms are common and can have a variety of causes.

Your first tests will likely include blood and stool laboratory tests. Further testing could include imaging studies of your gastrointestinal tract or a look inside your GI tract through an endoscope.

Identifying Treatment Options
Once an IBD diagnosis is confirmed, you can partner with your doctor to manage your disease. Treatment plans are highly personalized, as what works for one person may not for another. Medication and managing your diet and nutrition are two common treatment recommendations. In some cases, surgery can help improve your quality of life.

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Clinical trials may also be an option for treating your IBD. Through clinical trials, researchers find new ways to improve treatments and quality of life. In fact, clinical trials represent the final stages of a long and careful research process to make new and improved treatment options for patients available.

However, an important part of clinical trials for IBD is patient participation. Without the enrollment of patients in clinical trials, new treatment options for IBD can be delayed or never become available.

Equally important to this process is having a diverse representation of patients that considers race, age or other categories. This helps researchers develop treatments that meet the needs of a vast IBD patient community.  

If you’re interested in participating in a clinical trial, ask your doctor to help you find a trial that is right for you, and visit crohnscolitisfoundation.org to learn more about IBD and treatment options, including clinical trials.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock

SOURCE:
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation

Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/

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Smart devices for your home, office and while on the go

(Family Features) Technology is constantly evolving, so it’s not always easy to keep up with the latest gadgets and gizmos. From PCs and smart wearables to earbuds, smartphones, mixed reality devices and beyond, updated devices provide solutions for practical purposes and entertainment alike.

This season’s latest and greatest devices bring new opportunities to explore and engage for everyone – students, parents and everyone in between. With cutting-edge technology and top-tier performance, these innovative devices transform entertainment, empower more connections and help you work together with ease.

Learn more about what’s powering your favorite tech devices at qualcomm.com/snapdragon.

A Classic Comeback

Its launch 20 years ago was groundbreaking, but the Motorola Razr+ expands the boundaries of smartphone technology even further. This stylish, pocket-sized smartphone brings the power of AI to more users’ hands and offers a 50-megapixel, high-res camera system and a host of AI-powered camera features. It’s also one of the world’s first flip phones to feature the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform, allowing users to explore AI through accelerated performance, unparalleled connectivity, fast-paced gameplay and better content capture.

See Things Your Way

From music festivals and birthday parties to first steps, graduations and beyond, Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses free you from the constraints of a handheld camera. Instead of keeping the world at arm’s length (or missing out on the action completely as you struggle with your smartphone’s lock screen), these smart glasses, powered by the Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 Platform, let you snap a photo or video clip from your unique point of view, allowing you to relive the moment and truly live in it, too.

Time and Place for Everything

Kids love to move, bounce, run and play, but they love video games, too. Bring these ideas together with Fitbit Ace LTE, powered by the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 wearable platform, with fully immersive, interactive 3D games on their wrists. Each game is built specifically for the device using haptics, sounds, the accelerometer and more to deliver fun and engaging gameplay. The watch recognizes and rewards all sorts of physical activity, whether playing hide and seek, jumping on the bed or having a dance-off, by unlocking more game time the more they move.

It’s All in Your Head

From watching your favorite TV shows on a cinema-sized screen to your own personal trainer you can take anywhere you go, the Meta Quest 3S mixed reality device offers something for everyone. The headset, which also features multitasking capabilities, gaming and more, is powered by the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 Platform and is an ideal choice for someone new to mixed reality and immersive experiences or who might have been waiting for a more affordable upgrade.

Your Partner in Time

If you’re looking for a smartwatch that simultaneously supports your daily activity while motivating you, too, the OnePlus Watch 2 is packed with flagship features, including exceptional battery and charging performance for unrivaled reliability and longevity. It features Dual-Engine Architecture powered by two different flagship chipsets, the Snapdragon W5 performance chipset and the BES 2700 MCU Efficiency chipset, so it’s well-equipped to handle background activity and simple tasks simultaneously with more demanding tasks, like running favorite apps.

Listen and Learn

If you’re looking for a better balance between connecting and disconnecting, Bose Ultra Open Earbuds feature an innovative cuff-shaped design that provides top-level comfort for all-day wear without making you choose between immersive audio and awareness. In addition, because they attach to the side of your ear, you can wear them with glasses, a hat or jewelry and they won’t interfere, and thanks to their integrated Snapdragon Sound Technology Suite, you can count on seamless, robust connectivity.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (family using tablet)

SOURCE:
Qualcomm

Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.

Shariq Siddiqui, Indiana University

The growth of “halal mortgages” over the past 20 years has expanded financial access to homeownership for many Muslims. Halal mortgages provide interest-free loans in keeping with Islamic beliefs.

These mortgages are available in over 80 countries that have a significant Muslim population, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey, Bahrain, Indonesia and Pakistan, where they account for the vast majority of the global US$3.9 trillion Islamic finance economy.

Access to halal mortgages has been growing in the United States. Until 1997, no financial institution was willing to offer halal mortgages, but in 2024, over 25 banks had made them available.

The Conversation asked Shariq Siddiqui, assistant professor and director of the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative at Indiana University, to explain halal mortgages.

What are halal mortgages?

Halal mortgages are a tool of Islamic finance and offer an equitable way to gain homeownership. They emphasize risk-sharing and mutual cooperation with the aim of checking unfair exploitation and wealth accumulation in the hands of a few. In such a system, money is a means of exchange rather than a commodity that generates profit.

What are the religious roots of Islamic finance?

The Muslim holy book, the Quran, and the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, the Sunnah, prohibit riba, (interest), maisir (speculation) and gharar (uncertainty or uneven risk).

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For example, the Quran says, “O you who believe, do not eat up the amounts acquired through ribā (interest), doubled and multiplied. Fear Allah, so that you may be successful.”

Over time, Muslims have sought to develop systems that adhere to these rules. These include bonds that do not receive interest but are based on profit-sharing; socially responsible mutual funds that comply with ethical rules; and insurance that provide protection through a communal fund.

Since World War II, however, monetary policies in the global financial market are largely based upon interest.

How does Islamic financing work in modern context?

In the modern context, Muslims use contract law for economic activity and offer home mortgages without interest. For example, as an attorney, I would develop mortgage contracts that would allow buyers and sellers to transact without interest. This “mortgage” contract would be recorded with the county.

Traditionally, there are three kinds of halal mortgages. In the first, known as ijara, the bank purchases the property and leases it to the homeowner; the homeowner pays rent, principal payments and bank charges; the buyer’s share in the home remains the same until the entire loan is paid off.

Diminishing musharaka is another type of joint ownership plan between the bank and the buyer. The buyer makes principal monthly payments and pays bank charges rather than interest. With each principal payment, the ownership of the buyer increases and the bank’s ownership decreases.

In the third type, murabaha, the bank purchases the home and resells it immediately to the buyer at a higher price – termed as profit. The buyer typically pays a 20% down payment. Thereafter, the buyer makes fixed interest-free payments until the loan is paid off.

What is the availability of halal mortgages in the US?

In 2001 and 2003, respectively, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae started buying Islamic mortgage products to provide extra liquidity in the U.S. Islamic finance market. These government-backed housing giants work under the conservatorship of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and are one of the principal means of bolstering homeownership in the United States.

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These mortgage buyers have grown to become the main investors in Islamic mortgages. For example, Freddie Mac has invested in Guidance Residential, one of the largest halal mortgage companies in the U.S.

What are the advantages?

These systems ensure that there is mutual risk-taking between the bank and the homebuyer. For example, should the homebuyer be unable to keep up payments, their prior principal payments are protected and not consumed by the interest. Furthermore, if the home loses value, both homebuyer and bank proportionally lose out on the principal value of the home.

They require greater transparency on costs, fees and responsibilities; both parties are required to work together and fulfill their obligations.

This reduces the risk of failures like the subprime lending crisis, when banks overvalued homes and financed mortgages that buyers could not afford, leading to a global recession in 2008.

What are the downsides?

Halal mortgages are more expensive and more difficult to enter into, as they require a down payment of at least 20%. Furthermore, they are not available in every state in the United States.

Additionally, many Muslims are unwilling to deposit their money in banks, if those banks are required to pay interest or earn part of their revenue based upon interest.

Shariq Siddiqui, Assistant Professor & Director of the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, Indiana University

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This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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