Reading Time – 6 Minutes, Difficulty Level – 2/5
Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Management
What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)?
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is like an umbrella term for two conditions called Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. It is a chronic disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. About 2.4 million people in the United States have IBD.
Who can get IBD?
It can happen to anyone, no matter their age, race, ethnicity, or biological sex. However, it is more commonly diagnosed in non-Hispanic White populations, females, and those ages 15-35.
Previous research has commonly found more cases in North America, but there has been a rise in cases around the world, There are about 6.8 million cases globally. More people in places like South America, eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa are getting diagnosed. This may be due to changes in the environment, how people live, or the tools used to diagnose IBD.
IBD vs. IBS
People might mix up IBD with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but they are not the same. IBS is a syndrome, which means doctors decide if you have it based on a group of symptoms the individual may be having, but tests do not show problems in the digestive tract. It is more like the body is acting up without any clear signs of disease. On the other hand, IBD is diagnosed by looking at both symptoms and signs of inflammation that show up on tests. Learn more about IBS here.
What is the difference between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis?
Crohn’s disease
Even though Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are both types of IBD, they have some differences. Crohn’s disease can happen in any part of the digestive system, from the mouth to the anus. It looks like patches of damaged areas mixed with healthy spots, like a cobblestone pattern. The inflammation can go through many layers of the digestive system.
Ulcerative colitis
In contrast, ulcerative colitis is only in the large intestine (colon) and the rectum. The affected areas are not patchy; they are continuous, and the inflammation is only on the very inner layer of the colon lining.
Indeterminate colitis
A third type of IBD is indeterminate colitis, also known as inflammatory bowel disease unclassified (IBDU). This diagnosis is made when a person has symptoms and signs of IBD, but doctors have not figured out if it is Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
What causes IBD?
IBD is an autoimmune disease. Normally, the immune system helps the body fight off infections and sickness. In some cases, it starts working too much, like going into overdrive. This can make it attack the body, causing damage to cells and tissue.
In IBD, this overactive immune system can harm the digestive system. The cause of an overactive immune system is unknown but may be due to a combination of genes, infections, and things in the environment.
What are the symptoms of IBD?
IBD is more than just a bathroom problem. While many symptoms happen in the digestive system, there can also be symptoms outside of it. Some common digestive symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, gas, bloating, bloody stools, and not feeling hungry. Other symptoms include feeling tired, eye problems, joint pain, and rashes or sores on the skin. People with IBD also have a higher chance of getting colon cancer.
How is IBD diagnosed?
To figure out if someone has IBD, a doctor might do a mix of lab tests and endoscopic procedures. They can use blood and stool tests to check for inflammation in the body. Endoscopic procedures use flexible tubes called scopes to look inside the body. This helps the doctor see what is happening inside the digestive tract. There are different types of endoscopic procedures, each designed to look at different parts of the body. Learn more about the different types of endoscopic procedures here.
How is IBD managed?
Medications are often prescribed to treat inflammation and decrease symptoms. There are several different types of medications, but the main goal is to calm down the immune system and decrease irritation in the digestive system. If medications do not work well, surgery may be done to remove parts of the diseased bowel. Other therapies that may help decrease symptoms include physical activity, stress management, diet changes, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and sleep hygiene.
Key Takeaways
- IBD is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract.
- Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are types of IBD diagnosed based on the location and pattern of the damaged areas.
- This diagnosis is found through lab tests and endoscopic procedures.
- IBD symptoms can happen in the digestive system and in other areas of the body.
- IBD management requires a personalized approach as each individual’s IBD and response to therapies differ.
References
- Lewis JD, Parlett LE, Jonsson Funk ML, et al. Incidence, prevalence, and racial and ethnic distribution of inflammatory bowel disease in the United States. Gastroenterol. 2023;165(5):1197-1205.e2. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2023.07.003
- GBD 2017 Inflammatory Bowel Disease Collaborators. The global, regional, and national burden of inflammatory bowel disease in 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020;5(1):17-30. doi:10.1016/S2468-1253(19)30333-4
- What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Updated April 13, 2022. Accessed January 25, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/ibd/what-is-IBD.htm
- Zhou N, Chen WX, Chen SH, et al. Inflammatory bowel disease unclassified. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2011;12(4):280-286. doi:10.1631/jzus.B1000172
- Borowitz SM. The epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease: clues to pathogenesis? Front Pediatr. 2023;10:1103713. doi:10.3389/fped.2022.1103713
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Overview). Cleveland Clinic. Updated May 3, 2021. Accessed January 24, 2024. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15587-inflammatory-bowel-disease-overview
- Kamp K, Clark-Snustad K, Yoo L, et al. A comprehensive self-management intervention for inflammatory bowel disease (CSM-IBD): protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2023;12:e46307. doi:10.2196/46307
Additional Resources
Samantha Winders holds a PhD in Nursing Sciences from the University of Florida. As a nurse scientist, she is dedicated to advancing symptom management and enhancing scientific communication. Her research is centered around chronic illness, sleep, and biomarkers.
