IBD Symptoms: World IBD Day is marked every year on 19 May. It is a day dedicated to raising awareness of inflammatory bowel diseases. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term that is used to describe the conditions that causes severe stomach pain and diarrhea. IBD is long-term, but there are treatments that help with the symptoms.
Two major types of IBD are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Ulcerative colitis is limited to the colon or large intestine. Crohn's disease, on the other hand, involves any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus. Most commonly, it affects the last part of the small intestine or the colon, or both.
Agent or a combination of agents like bacteria, viruses, and antigens triggers the body's immune system to produce an inflammatory reaction in the intestinal tract. Some combination of hereditary, genetic, or environmental factors also cause the development of IBD. It could also be that the body's own tissue causes an autoimmune response. The reaction continues without control and damages the intestinal wall, leading to diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Symptoms
IBD symptoms come and go. Symptoms range from mild to severe and generally depend upon what part of the intestinal tract is involved. Periods of IBD symptoms are IBD flares. When a person doesn't ’t have symptoms, they’re in remission.
A person with IBD generally goes through periods in which the disease flares up and causes symptoms, followed by periods in which symptoms decrease or disappear and good health returns.
IBD symptoms include:
Abdominal (belly) pain
1. Diarrhea
2. Gas and bloating
3. Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss.
4. Mucus or blood in stool.
5. Upset stomach
The rare symptoms of IBD also include :
6. Fatigue.
7. Fever.
8. Joint pain.
9. Nausea and vomiting.
10. Skin rashes and sores (ulcers).
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