Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD):
What is IBD?
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a term that refers to both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation of the lining of the large intestine. Crohn’s disease causes inflammation of the lining and wall of the large and or the small intestine. When the lining of the intestinal wall becomes inflamed, it is red and swollen and may bleed.
Symptoms of IBD:
Symptoms of IBS may range from mild to severe and generally depend upon the part of the intestinal tract that is involved. Common symptoms include:
- Abdominal cramps and pain
- Bloody diarrhea
- Severe urgency to have a bowel movement
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Anemia (due to blood loss)
Intestinal complication of IBD may include:
- Profuse bleeding from the ulcers
- Perforation of the bowel
- Strictures and obstruction
- Fistulae (abnormal passage) and perianal disease
- Toxic megacolon (acute non- obstructive dilation of the colon)
- Malignancy
Symptoms of IBD – involving other areas of the body:
- Arthritis
- Skin conditions
- Inflammation of the eye
- Liver and kidney disorders
- Bone loss
Causes of IBD:
The actual cause of IBD is not known, but researchers have several theories. One theory is based on genetics indicating that IBD does run in families. A significant percentage of patients with IBD have a blood relative with the disease as well. Researchers are now trying to determine if a specific gene or a group of genes makes a person more susceptible to getting the disease. Many changes in the body’s immune system have been discovered in patients with IBD as well. This leads physicians and researchers to believe that IBD is an autoimmune disorder. There is little evidence that stress causes IBD, which leads researchers to believe that IBD is not a result of a person’s lifestyle choices. There is currently a great deal of research being done in order to determine the actual cause of IBD.
IBD occurs most frequently in people in their late teens and twenties. There have been cases in children as young as two years old and in older adults in their seventies and eighties. Men and women seem to be affected by IBD equally.
Diagnosis:
Based on your symptoms, a physician may suspect that you have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. In order to confirm the diagnosis, the physician may test a stool sample for microorganisms and the presence of blood. A doctor may also perform a colonoscopy or a flexible sigmoidoscopy to view the intestines. Additionally, x-rays may be helpful in diagnosing this illness.
Treatment options:
There are many different treatment plans that a physician may propose in order to treat a patient with IBD. Some common methods of treatment include dietary changes, emotional support, surgery and medications to control the symptoms. A physician will discuss these options is great detail with a patient who has been diagnosed with IBD.
Related information:
| University of Missouri Health Care | This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. |
