Frequently Asked Questions about IBD, Crohn's, and Colitis
What is inflammatory bowel disease? What is IBD?
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, is a family of two chronic digestive illnesses, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Both are autoimmune disorders and occur when the body's efforts to fight off infection become overactive and attack the tissue of the patient's digestive organs. The effected organs experience chronic inflammation and ulceration. The particular organs effected depends on which form of IBD the patient has.
There are many medications used to treat IBD, most of which are targeted at modifying the body's immune system to inhibit the inflammation process. For the most part, the same medications are used to treat both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In some cases surgery is necessary.
The onset of IBD can occur at any age, but it is most commonly diagnosed in the teens or early twenties. There are approximately 1.4 million Americans with IBD, ten percent of which are children. Many IBD patients have a close family member who also has IBD.
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What is ulcerative colitis?
Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease that occurs only in the patient's colon and/or rectum. Also known as the large intestine, the colon is the final organ in the digestive chain. Together with the rectum, it is the final passage for waste before it exits the body. The primary indicators of ulcerative colitis are inflammation and ulceration in the colon and rectum. Patients with ulcerative colitis do not experience inflammation in other parts of their digestive system. Primary symptoms include rectal bleeding, diarrhea, sudden/urgent need to evacuate the bowels, and cramping and pain in the affected areas.
Since the colon serves mostly as a storage reservoir and to extract salt and water from stool, a person can live without the colon if necessary. Therefore, ulcerative colitis can sometimes be cured by removing the colon. However, this surgery is typically reserved as a last resort in cases when medications are not successful in treating the disease. Some surgical options allow the patient to continue relatively normal bowel function by forming a make-shift colon from the last portion of the small intestine, and re-attaching it to the anus. This is called a j-pouch or ileo-anal anastamosis. In cases when this procedure is not an option or does not cure the disease, the patient will undergo an ostomy procedure, which routes the intestine to the skin surface where an external reservoir is used to collect waste.
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What is Crohn's disease?
Crohn's disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease that can effect any part of the digestive tract. Unlike ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease is not limited to the colon and rectum. It can appear anywhere from the mouth to the anus. As with ulcerative colitis, inflammation and ulceration are the primary indicators, and symptoms include rectal bleeding, diarrhea, sudden/urgent need to evacuate the bowels, and cramping and pain in the affected areas. Crohn's disease can also cause intestinal blockage, constipation, sores in the mouth and esophagus, and other symptoms. Some Crohn's patients develop fistulae, which are small inflammatory tunnels that lead from the digestive tract to the abdominal cavity, to other digestive organs, or to the skin surface.
Since Crohn's disease can impact the performance of any digestive organ, it can interfere with the body's absorption of nutrients, especially in cases where it affects the small intestine. As such, it is common for Crohn's patients to experience malnutrition and other complications. Since the colon is the only part of the digestive tract that a patient can live without, there is no surgical cure for Crohn's. Surgery is sometimes performed to repair or remove small sections of the small bowel, but only after exhausting other options because disease is more likely to recur in the location of the surgery, and surgical scarring can inhibit healthy digestion.
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What is the difference between ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease?
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are similar in many ways. They share many symptoms and treatments. The key difference is that ulcerative colitis affects only the colon and/or rectum, whereas Crohn's disease can affect any part of the digestive tract.
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Is there a cure for IBD?
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are both chronic conditions. In some cases ulcerative colitis may be curable with surgery by removing the colon, but there is no such cure for Crohn's disease. There are many medical treatments for both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. With effective medical treatment, many patients of both conditions can live relatively normal lives with little impact on life expectancy. While they are both chronic illnesses, neither is inherently life threatening if treated properly. However, life can be difficult, and fatal complications can arise with both conditions.
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Where can I learn more about IBD, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis?
Naturally, reading Colitiscope is a good start! Beyond that, there are many good sources of information on IBD. The Resources page on this site has a number of helpful links.
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How can I help make a difference?
You can help a patient and their family & friends cope with this difficult illness by sharing this book with them. Colitiscope can be enjoyed by anyone with IBD in their life. It is meant to help people learn about living with IBD, either as a patient or loved one.
There are also ways to help the greater cause. There is significant research going on right now that aims to cure both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Medical technology has gotten to the point where the progress of this research is limited only by the money available to perform it. For the first time in the history of IBD research, the capabilities are outpacing the funding. There has never been a more critical time to support IBD research. The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America is committed to this mission. Please visit the Resources page for more information on how you can help make a difference.
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