|
4 Tips on Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an inflammation of the small or large intestine that may cause these symptoms:
- Diarrhea
- Rectal bleeding
- Sharp abdominal pain or cramping
- Intestinal obstruction
- Fever
See your doctor if you have any of these symptoms
- There are two types of IBD:
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Starts in rectum and spreas upward
- Affects men more tham women
- Crohn's Disease
- More patchy inflammation
- Can start anywhere in the digestive tract
- Affects women more than men
- The cause of IBD is unknown. What is known about IBD includes the following:
- IBD is not Contagious.
- IBD is not caused by diet.
- IBD is not a form of cancer.
- IBD affects young and old alike.
- IBD can usually be treated with medicine but sometimes requires surgery.
- Diagnosis of IBD is based on:
- Family history, travel history, current medications
- Stool sample to rule out infection
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy and biopsy to rule out cancer and to identify
- IBD
- X-ray studies
|