What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)?
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of disorders that cause chronic inflammation in the intestines. It is a chronic life long autoimmune condition that requires treatment to keep it in remission or to subdue flare ups (when symptoms are active). There is no cure.
Many people with IBD may experience mental health issues due to the challenges of living with the condition.
What types of IBD are there?
- Crohn's Disease - affects the entire digestive tract from the mouth to the ***
- Ulcerative colitis (UC) - affects the rectum and colon
- Microscopic colitis - inflammation can only be detected with a microscope
- Indeterminate colitis - when doctors are unsure whether you have Crohn's/UC
How common is IBD?
Globally, 10 million people suffer from IBD; 3.1 million (1.3%) Americans and 0.81% or 1 in 123 people in the UK have a type of IBD. It is considered a rare disease by some.
What's the difference between IBD and Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?
IBD is a disease; IBS is a syndrome, or group of symptoms. The causes and treatments are different.
IBS is a type of functional gastrointestinal disease. It affects how the bowels function, causing them to contract more (or sometimes less) often than usual. IBS is also known as spastic colon or nervous stomach.
IBS doesn’t inflame or damage the intestines like IBD, so imaging scans can’t detect it and it doesn’t increase the risk of colon cancer. People with IBS rarely need hospitalization or surgery.
What causes IBD?
Researchers are still trying to determine why some people develop IBD. Three factors appear to play a role:
- Genetics: As many as 1 in 4 people with IBD have a family history of the disease.
- Immune system response: The immune system typically fights off infections. In people with IBD, the immune system mistakes foods as foreign substances. It releases antibodies (proteins) to fight off this threat, causing IBD symptoms.
- Environmental triggers: People with a family history of IBD may develop the disease after exposure to an environmental trigger. These triggers include smoking, stress, medication use and depression.
What are the non-surgical treatments for IBD?
- Aminosalicylates (an anti-inflammatory medicine like sulfasalazine, mesalamine or balsalazide) minimize irritation to the intestines.
- Antibiotics treat infections and abscesses.
- Biologics interrupt signals from the immune system that cause inflammation.
- Corticosteroids, such as prednisone, keep the immune system in check and manage flares.
- Immunomodulators calm an overactive immune system.
What are the complications of IBD?
People with IBD have a higher risk of developing colon (colorectal) cancer. Other potential complications include:
- *** fistula (tunnel that forms under the skin connecting an infected *** gland and the ***).
- *** stenosis or stricture (narrowing of the *** canal where stool leaves the body).
- Anemia (low levels of red blood cells) or blood clots.
- Kidney stones.
- Liver disease, such as cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis (bile duct inflammation).
- Malabsorption and malnutrition (inability to get enough nutrients through the small intestine).
- Osteoporosis.
- Perforated bowel (hole or tear in the large intestine).
- Toxic megacolon (severe intestinal swelling).
How can you support someone with IBD?
Some ways to support someone with IBD is to:
- Be there to listen
- Don't judge what they eat
- Be understanding if they can't make an event
- Try to find the funny side
- Make them feel comfortable opening up to you about potentially embarrassing symptoms
- Remember that there is no cure and it is not the same as IBS
Great social support can work wonders to help reduce a person's stress and pain levels.
Sources:
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15587-inflammatory-bowel-disease-overview
- https://www.cdc.gov/ibd/what-is-IBD.htm
- https://crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/info-support/information-about-crohns-and-colitis/all-information-about-crohns-and-colitis/supporting-someone/a-guide-for-friends-and-family
