What is bowel disease

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. What is inflammatory bowel disease IBD? Minus Related Pages. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.

Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. Some tests they may use include:. A health professional may also request endoscopic procedures.

During these, they will insert a flexible probe with a camera attached through the anus. These procedures help reveal any intestinal damage and allow the health professional to take a small sample of tissue for examination.

A capsule endoscopy is another option. This procedure requires a person to swallow a capsule that contains a camera, thereby allowing a health professional to examine the small intestine.

There is currently no cure for IBD. The goal of treatment will be to reduce the symptoms, achieve and maintain remission, and prevent complications. The most common treatments for IBD are medications and surgery, which the sections below will discuss in more detail. Doctors may prescribe certain drugs to treat IBD, beginning with milder ones and working up to more aggressive treatments later. These medications may include:.

In some cases, surgery may be necessary to treat IBD or its complications. For example, a doctor may recommend surgery to widen a narrow bowel or remove any fistulas. People with ulcerative colitis may need to undergo surgery to remove the colon and rectum.

Certain dietary and lifestyle factors can make IBD symptoms worse. However, making positive changes to these habits can help a person manage their symptoms, reduce flares, and even maintain remission. Many people with IBD say that they experience more severe symptoms during stressful periods. Therefore, learning to manage stress may help reduce the frequency and severity of these types of flares.

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You will also receive emails from Mayo Clinic on the latest health news, research, and care. The exact cause of inflammatory bowel disease remains unknown. Previously, diet and stress were suspected, but now doctors know that these factors may aggravate but aren't the cause of IBD.

One possible cause is an immune system malfunction. When your immune system tries to fight off an invading virus or bacterium, an abnormal immune response causes the immune system to attack the cells in the digestive tract, too. Heredity also seems to play a role in that IBD is more common in people who have family members with the disease.

However, most people with IBD don't have this family history. Cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking is the most important controllable risk factor for developing Crohn's disease. Smoking may help prevent ulcerative colitis. However, its harm to overall health outweighs any benefit, and quitting smoking can improve the general health of your digestive tract, as well as provide many other health benefits.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease have some complications in common and others that are specific to each condition. Complications found in both conditions may include:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Biologics are genetically designed drugs that may be a choice for people with moderate to severe IBD.

Some biologics block tumor necrosis factor TNF. TNF is a chemical that causes inflammation and is produced by the immune system. Biosimilars, which are cheaper and have been reverse-engineered to produce the same results as biologics, are available for some of these drugs, though.

Adalimumab is less effective. Adalimumab can be self-administered, which may make it more convenient than the other drugs. Other drugs block separate pathways causing inflammation, including the UC drug tofacitinib Xeljanz.

Due to safety concerns, the AGA recommends that this oral drug only be taken during a clinical or registry study. Antidiarrheal medications and laxatives can also be used to treat IBD symptoms. Shop for antidiarrheal medications and laxatives online.

Drinking plenty of fluids helps to compensate for those lost in your stool. Avoiding dairy products and stressful situations also improves symptoms. Exercising and quitting smoking , if you smoke, can further help improve your health. Vitamin and mineral supplements can help with nutritional deficiencies.

For example, iron supplements can help treat anemia. Shop for iron supplements online. Routine colonoscopy is used to monitor for colorectal cancer, since those with IBD are at a higher risk for developing it. However, you may be able to reduce your risk for developing IBD or prevent a relapse by:. IBD can cause some discomfort, but there are ways you can manage the disease and still live a healthy, active lifestyle.

IBD Healthline is a free app that connects you with others living with IBD through one-on-one messaging and live group chats while also providing access to expert-approved information on managing IBD. Download the app for iPhone or Android. Read this article in Spanish. There isn't a singular list of foods that everyone with inflammatory bowel disease should eat, but there are a handful of foods that stand out when it…. Although research is limited, people with IBD have reported….

Are you wondering how drugs can treat restless legs syndrome? The overall health of your gut impacts your mind, mood, and body.