What is IBD?
IBD stands for inflammatory bowel disease, and it includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
These are two serious, chronic digestive diseases that affect five million people worldwide. It is usually diagnosed between the ages of 15-30, and affects men and women equally.
There is no cure, no known cause, and little public understanding of the pain and chronic suffering with which IBD patients courageously cope every day of their lives.
In Australia, 180,000 people live with Crohn’s and Colitis, while in New Zealand, the conditions affect around 20,000 people.
What is the difference between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis?
According to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, the main difference between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis is that ulcerative colitis causes inflammation in the colon, whereas Crohn’s disease can cause inflammation anywhere in the GI tract.
Additionally, they say ulcerative colitis causes continuous areas of the colon to be inflamed, while patients with Crohn’s disease will have patches of inflamed areas mixed closely together with healthy tissue.
What are the symptoms of IBD?
Better Health Channel says symptoms of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis can be different for each person and can be serious or mild.
The most common symptoms during a flare are:
- abdominal pain
- frequent diarrhoea (sometimes mixed with mucus and blood) and urgent need to use the toilet often,
- tiredness, fatigue
- raised temperature, fever
- loss of appetite, weight loss, and
- anaemia (reduced level of blood cells).
How is IBD diagnosed?
If you have symptoms that you are worried about, visit your healthcare provider.
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis can be diagnosed with blood tests, stool tests, endoscopies, and bowel imaging and scans.
Endoscopies are tests such as a colonoscopy or gastroscopy to look inside your stomach, small intestine or large intestine. These can help to rule out other conditions that cause similar symptoms, such as coeliac disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
READ MORE: What Does a Bowel-Healthy Diet Look Like?
