Comprehensive Guide to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of chronic disorders causing inflammation in the digestive tract, including conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
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Crohn's Disease | Ulcerative Colitis | Digestive Disorders | IBD Types | Digestive Inflammation
Prepared by Lee Cheng, reviewed by Dr. Helena Rodriguez

Inflammatory Bowel Disease FAQ


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What is inflammation bowel disease (IBD)?

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a disease that causes painful sores and inflammation in your gut. It’s caused when your body’s own immune system starts to attack your gut. It’s not known for sure why this happens. There is more than one type of IBD. The two main types are Crohn’s disease and colitis. What are the symptoms of IBD?

Is inflammatory bowel disease a serious illness?

For some people, IBD is only a mild illness. For others, it's a debilitating condition that can lead to life-threatening complications. Inflammatory bowel disease symptoms vary, depending on the severity of inflammation and where it occurs. Symptoms may range from mild to severe.

What is inflammatory bowel disease treatment?

The goal of inflammatory bowel disease treatment is to reduce the inflammation that triggers your signs and symptoms. In the best cases, this may lead not only to symptom relief but also to long-term remission and reduced risks of complications. IBD treatment usually involves either drug therapy or surgery.

What are the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)?

The main symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can include: you have tummy pain or bloating that will not go away or keeps coming back there's a lot of blood, for example, the toilet water turns red or you see large blood clots you're vomiting blood or poo, or your sick looks like coffee grounds or soil

What is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)?

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term used to describe conditions that cause severe tummy pain and diarrhoea. IBD is long-term, but there are treatments that can help with the symptoms. The main types of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Is ulcerative colitis a symptom of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)?

Ulcerative colitis only affects the colon and rectum, whereas Crohn's disease can affect any part of the gut. However, about 1 in 20 people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affecting just the colon cannot be classified as having either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis because they have some features of both conditions.

What is the most common inflammatory disease of the bowel?

Ulcerative colitis is the most common type of inflammatory disease of the bowel. It affects about 1 in 400 people in the UK. Crohn's disease affects about 1 in 700 people in the UK. IBD can first present at any age but the most common age is between 15-30 years. There is a second smaller peak age for symptoms to start between 50-70 years.

What are the different types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)?

The main types of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. IBD is different to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), even though some of the symptoms may be similar. The main symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can include: you have tummy pain or bloating that will not go away or keeps coming back

Inflammatory Bowel Disease References

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