What is IBD and its Symptoms, Treatment & Disease

With so many acronyms in the medical world, it’s hard to remember exactly what a doctor means when they start laying out acronym after acronym, and IBD can be one that you haven’t heard of just yet. So, first of all, what is IBD?

1. IBD stands for inflammatory bowel disease. The name explains itself fairly well, simply the inflammation of or in the small intestine and colon lining.
2. Crohn’s disease is a type of IBD. You may have heard of Crohn’s from commercials or articles online but probably didn’t know that it was a type of IBD.
3. Another popular type of IBD is ulcerative colitis. Like IBD and Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis can affect more than just the small intestine and colon. There are well over four different types of ulcerative colitis, and most are specific to a particular region of the digestive tract.

What is the Cause of IBD?

The exact cause of IBD remains to be discovered. However, there are three definite possibilities on the table as of right now. Diet, stress level, and immune system malfunction are currently being researched as possible chief causes of the disease.

1. Intense levels of stress can cause ulcers in the stomach lining and irregularities in digestion speeds and success. These ulcers and abnormalities are the first steps to developing IBD.
2. Diet is another suspect, mainly because of the huge influence on everything humans do. An unhealthy diet has the power to turn your health around very quickly. Eating unhealthy and fatty foods may be the culprit behind this disease.

However, while the exact cause of the disease remains up in the air, the symptoms are well known.

What are the Symptoms of IBD?

IBD symptoms are sometimes hard to see. It’s difficult to know you have it before the disease gets to the later stages, and you begin to feel pain without going to a doctor. As the disease spreads, the infected will experience diarrhea. This is one of the earliest and most common signs that a person will receive. A steady fever and fatigue are other symptoms of IBD. However, it may be hard to say IBD definitively with just these three symptoms.

To be able to mark it as IBD confidently, look for these symptoms:

1. Abdominal cramps – Cramping in the lower abdomen can be a good clue that this is the issue at hand. The infection typically begins in this location in the lower intestine, making it a clear cause for discomfort.
2. Bloody stools – The blood in the stool is most likely from the bleeding of the infected stomach lining. This could also be hemorrhoids or several other medical phenomena, so be sure to check for additional symptoms before settling on IBD.
3. Reduced appetite – The abdominal pain and cramping can affect your hunger levels.
4. Weight loss – Depending on the severity of the cramping and your loss of appetite, weight loss may incur. This could also be because of the malfunction in your intestines, which can affect your body’s ability to properly absorb the nutrients of the food.

If singled out, most of these symptoms could be attributed to anything from eating too much to menstrual cramps. The time to seek medical opinions would be when you notice two or more occurring at once.

If you notice that you or a loved one is suffering from a number of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately. The sooner an IBD treatment is facilitated, the sooner the pain and discomfort can stop for them.

It Maybe Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease is quite similar to IBD, aside from small differences. Based on the patient, this type of IBD may cause inflammation in different parts of the digestive tract. In some instances, it caused inflammation as far up the track as the esophagus and mouth. Crohn’s disease is a more common variety of diseases and can offer much more insight into how to go on living normally and as painlessly as possible while recovering.

It Maybe Ulcerative Colitis (UC)

UC may come in a few different specialized classifications, each with similar symptoms.

1. Ulcerative proctitis- It is one of the more mild forms of UC and involves inflammation confined to the rectum.
2. Proctosigmoiditis- again, involves inflammation in the rectum, as well as bouts of constipation.
3. Left-sided colitis- this type of UC will cause intense pain on the patient’s left side, as well as the usual symptoms.
4. Pancolitis- affects the entire colon and will result in severe weight loss.
5. Acute severe ulcerative colitis- similar symptoms all around; however, acute severe ulcerative colitis may cause an inability to eat.

A Special IBD Diet is Essential

Keeping a good diet while suffering from IBD is not difficult. An IBD diet mainly focuses on staying away from large portions, caffeine, alcohol, and fatty foods. Staying away from just these four things can save a lot of pain, even after the onset of IBD. A changed diet has the power to seriously reduce the amount of discomfort and even make some of the symptoms of IBD retreat naturally. Here are some foods you may want to eat more of:

1. Fruits! Incorporate fruit in as many meals as you can. Soft fruits that have been peeled and mashed are best for digestion.
2. Vegetables are a welcome addition to any diet, as well as this one. Try to make sure that the vegetables you eat are fully cooked and peeled.
3. Soft foods are key.
4. Limit proteins as much as you can. Lean proteins from fish and soy are okay, but only once or twice a day.
5. Eat smaller portions more frequently throughout the day.

While it can be one of the chief reasons for developing the disease in the first place, diet can also have a tremendous impact on your recovery. The speed and quality of the patients’ revival will be largely owed to the kinds and quantities of the food they eat.

Looking at IBD vs. IBS

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are two different afflictions. While they may have similar symptoms, the afflictions themselves differ in pain levels and severity. Here are some things to consider when looking at the differences between IBS vs. IBD.

1. IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, is a disorder. This means that there is merely a kind of disturbance in bowel function. That is not to say that it isn’t uncomfortable- pain from this disorder can be anything from mild to incapacitating.
2. IBS does not involve any inflammation of the intestines or colon, unlike IBD. It will not cause bleeding or permanent harm to the gastrointestinal system.
3. The symptoms of IBS are, for the most part, similar to those of IBD. However, weight loss, fever, and blood in the stools are not symptoms of IBS but something potentially more serious. It could be IBD, but a visit to your doctor would be the best route to take.

What are the Treatments?

At the moment, several treatments can greatly help with subsiding the pain caused by IBD. First, a colonoscopy is generally a go-to procedure when anything is awry in the lower intestines because this procedure can give a clear view of the entire colon. Also, an abdominal x-ray may be the next step to get a picture of the entire intestine.

A CT scan, MRI, or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy may be the next step if those methods are unsuccessful or not conclusive. Each of these other tests may provide a clearer picture of the interior of the body and would be able to detect any swelling or abnormalities. In addition, an expensive test like this would determine which part of the intestine is affected most and locate which region is causing the most discomfort.

There are a few other treatments to look for abnormalities in the blood and urine and a stool analysis or a simple biopsy in the colon. These, along with tests to find antibodies sent by the body to confirm a disease, are tests on a smaller scale and can normally be done with less stress and discomfort.

If you or your loved one is exhibiting any of these symptoms or you believe they are sick with IBD, contact your physician immediately. Additionally, if you have any further questions about IBD, like your doctor. While the cure for IBD is still in the making, there are many ways to reduce the pain. Treatments are being developed every day to make the daily lives of those suffering much easier.