Inflammatory Bowel Disease
What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term used to describe conditions that cause severe tummy pain diarrhoea and other abnormalities. The cause is unknown, and happens when the immune system attacks the bowel. The two types of conditions associated with IBD is Crohn’s disease and colitis. IBD is life-long, but there are treatments that can help with the symptoms.
IBD is different to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) even though some of the symptoms may be similar.
Here are two videos which give an overview of IBD:
The first is from the US Gastrointestinal Society:
The second video is from Crohn's and Colitus UK:
Treatment and Management
Treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) will depend on the symptoms you are experiencing.
Treatments may include:
- medicines to help ease your symptoms, such as steroids
- if your symptoms are severe, you may need surgery to remove part of your bowel
Living with IBD can cause stress and bring many challenges. It is important to try to:
- Eat well
- Get regular exercise
- Make time for relaxation
- Talk things over
- Take a break
This e-booklet from Crohn’s and Colitis UK offers more information on living with IBD: living-with-crohns-or-colitis.pdf (crohnsandcolitis.org.uk)
Below are two videos on managing IBD:
The first is from gastroenterologist Dr Aathavan Loganayagam:
The video second is around nutrition, from the US Gastrointestinal Society:
Visit Guts UK for more information on Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.
More resources can be found at the following websites:
Crohn’s and Colitis UK: Crohn's & Colitis UK (crohnsandcolitis.org.uk)
Published: 15/08/2023 14:31