Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Types, Symptoms, Causes, Latest News

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Inflammatory Bowel Disease Latest News

Jipmer recently launched a support group for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

It is an umbrella term for a group of conditions that cause swelling and inflammation of the tissues in the digestive tract.
The most common types of IBD include:
- Ulcerative colitis. This condition involves inflammation and sores, called ulcers, along the lining of the colon and rectum.
- Crohn’s disease:
  - In this type of IBD, the lining of the digestive tract is inflamed.
  - The condition often involves the deeper layers of the digestive tract.
  - Crohn’s disease most commonly affects the small intestine.
  - However, it also can affect the large intestine and, uncommonly, the upper gastrointestinal tract.
Symptoms: Symptoms of both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease usually include belly pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, extreme tiredness, and weight loss.
Causes: The exact cause of IBD is unknown, but IBD is the result of a weakened immune system. Possible causes are:
- The immune system responds incorrectly to environmental triggers, such as viruses or bacteria, which cause inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.
- There also appears to be a genetic component. Someone with a family history of IBD is more likely to develop this inappropriate immune response.
Treatment:
- IBD is a chronic or long-term condition, but there are treatments available to ease symptoms and prevent flare-ups.
- IBD treatment usually involves either medicines or surgery.