IBD, or Inflammatory Bowel Disease, is a chronic illness characterized by inflammation of the digestive tract. IBD can affect anywhere in the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus, but is mostly found in the large intestine and the lowermost portion of the small intestine. There are different forms of IBD, mostly based on the location of the disease. Crohn’s Disease is usually found in the small intestine, and Ulcerative Colitis is found only in the large intestine and the rectum.
What Are the Symptoms of IBD?
People with IBD have intestines that become swollen and inflamed, narrowing the opening and causing ulcers and sometimes bleeding and infections. It can be a very painful condition that often results in symptoms such as diarrhea, extreme weight loss, abdominal pain, fevers, and sometimes nausea and vomiting, depending on where in the digestive system it is located. Other symptoms often associated with the disease include anemia, fatigue, malabsorption, malnutrition, arthritis, and skin lesions.
How is IBD diagnosed?
IBD is typically diagnosed when your doctor or specialist sends you to the hospital to undergo an endoscopy to look at your small intestine to diagnose Crohn’s Disease or for a colonoscopy to look at your large intestine to diagnose Ulcerative Colitis. Additional procedures your doctor(s) may recommend include contrast radiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), stool samples, and blood tests.
How do You Treat IBD?
Since it is a disease, there is no known cure for IBD. However, doctors generally prescribe gastrointestinal anti-inflammatory drugs like 5-aminosalicylic acids such as Asacol, immunomodulators, and corticosteroids like Prednisone. Crohn’s Disease patients sometimes require surgeries to remove portions of their small intestines, while Ulcerative Colitis patients sometimes undergo a colectomy to remove the large intestine. Sometimes, they can reattach parts of the bowel so that bowel movements can resume, while in other instances, the patient will require a colostomy, which is an opening in your abdomen to the outside of your body that allows stool to be removed into a colostomy bag.
There are also lots of things you can do on your own, like adjusting your diet and addressing stress levels. Those simple things can help anyone, especially those with IBD, to live a healthier, happier life.
There are also lots of things you can do on your own, like adjusting your diet and addressing stress levels. Those simple things can help anyone, especially those with IBD, to live a healthier, happier life.
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