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- What is IBD?
- Symptoms of IBD
- Causes of IBD
- Prevention of IBD
- Risk factors for IBD
- Complications of IBD
- When to see a doctor about IBD
- Diagnosis of IBD
- Conventional treatment of IBD
- Alternative/complementary treatment of IBD
- Living with IBD
- Caring for someone with IBD
What is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)?
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a disorder of either the small or large intestines (bowel) and is divided into one of two conditions:
- Crohn's disease (more prevalent)
- Ulcerative colitis (less prevalent)
The term inflammatory bowel disease is used to cover both the conditions as they have very similar symptoms.
IBD can be serious as it affects not just the bowels, but also other organs and tissues in the body.
IBD is a painful and chronic condition that can severely interfere with digestion and absorption of food, which means that there could be an associated malabsorption of important nutrients (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fats, carbohydrates, protein) and subsequent malnutrition and unintended weight loss.
For every two cases of ulcerative colitis diagnosed, there are three cases of Crohn's disease diagnosed.
Since IBD is a chronic health condition, it requires a lot of support to help people deal with the symptoms of this condition.
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Facts about IBD
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic health condition that usually (but not always) stays with a person for life
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can cause severe complications if it is not investigated and treated promptly
- There are two types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
- There are approximately 45,000 Australians with IBD (around 1 in every 50,000 people), with a similar rate of incidence in New Zealand
- About 120,000 people are diagnosed with IBD in the USA
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is more prevalent in Western countries and in countries with cooler climates
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects men and women at about roughly the same rate of incidence
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is usually diagnosed in people between the ages of 15-30, but can develop at any age, even in children
- Around 20% of adults with IBD had symptoms from before they were 15 years old
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is not a contagious disease (even if it was initially triggered by a bacterial or viral infection)
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disorder of the bowel which causes inflammation and pain
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was first diagnosed in 1934 by Dr Burril Crohn, who described the symptoms as an "inflamed bowel"
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