Inflammatory bowel disease (patient information)

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What is Inflammatory bowel disease?

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of inflammatory conditions of the large intestine and, in some cases, the small intestine.

The main forms of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC).

Accounting for far fewer cases are other forms of IBD:

• Collagenous colitis
• Lymphocytic colitis
• Ischaemic colitis
• Diversion colitis
• Behçet's syndrome
• Infective colitis
• Indeterminate colitis

The main difference between Crohn's disease and UC is the location and nature of the inflammatory changes. Crohn's can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from mouth to anus (skip lesions), although a majority of the cases start in the terminal ileum. Ulcerative colitis, in contrast, is restricted to the colon and the anus.

Microscopically, ulcerative colitis is restricted to the mucosa (epithelial lining of the gut), while Crohn's disease affects the whole bowel wall.

Finally, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis present with extra-intestinal manifestations (such as liver problems, arthritis, skin manifestations and eye problems) in different proportions.

In rare cases, patients have been diagnosed with both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, which is really called Crohn's colitis.

What are the symptoms of Inflammatory bowel disease?

Symptoms of ulcerative colitis include:

• Abdominal pain and cramping that usually disappears after a bowel movement
• Abdominal sounds (a gurgling or splashing sound heard over the intestine)
• Diarrhea, from only a few episodes to very often throughout the day (blood and mucus may be present)
• Fever
• Tenesmus
• Weight loss

Other symptoms that may occur with ulcerative colitis include the following:

• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Joint pain
• Nausea and vomiting

The main symptoms of Crohn's disease are:

• Crampy abdominal (belly area) pain
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Persistent, watery diarrhea

Other symptoms may include:

• Abdominal fullness and gas
• Clotting problems (deep vein thrombosis)
• Constipation
• Eye inflammation
• Fistulas (usually around the rectal area, may cause draining of pus, mucus, or stools)
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Joint pain
• Kidney stones
• Liver inflammation
• Loss of appetite
• Pain with passing stool (tenesmus)
• Rectal bleeding and bloody stools
• Skin rash
• Swollen gums
• Unintentional weight loss

Where to find medical care for Inflammatory bowel disease

Directions to Hospitals Treating Inflammatory bowel disease