Inflammatory Bowel Disease
What is inflammatory bowel disease?
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is an inflammatory disease of the digestive tract. It is a chronic disease and is characterised by frequent relapses.
There is 2 main forms: Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis. There are a lot of overlaps between the two conditions and often present with similar symptoms such as a change in bowel habit, bloody stools and abdominal pain. The main difference between the two is that Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the digestive tract from mouth to anus but ulcerative colitis is restricted to the lower intestinal tract (1).
Crohn’s in particular can present with symptoms outside of the digestive tract such as joint pains, a painful eye condition called optic neuritis, liver problems and rashes. If you are concerned that you or your loved one has IBD the charity Crohn’s and Colitis UK provides a helpful symptom checker to indicate when you should speak to your GP (2).
So you think you might have IBD, what next?
If you think you might have IBD then the next step is to speak to your GP. They will examine you and send off blood and stool samples. The blood sample will check for signs of inflammation such as a low blood count and high inflammatory markers called a C-Reactive Protein (CRP). They’ll also send off a stool sample to measure your level of Faecal Calprotectin. Faecal Calprotectin is a marker of inflammation in the bowel which is normally raised during a flare of IBD. The main role of faecal Calprotectin is to decide whether your symptoms are more likely to be related to IBD or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
If your faecal Calprotectin is raised you will be referred to your local hospital to confirm diagnosis on a colonoscopy (a camera test into the bowel) (3).
How is IBD managed?
If you are having an acute flare of IBD then you will normally be managed by your hospital team with a course of steroids. To control your IBD long-term you will be offered immunotherapy which reduces the number of flares and helps you live well for longer periods with IBD. (4).
Can lifestyle impact IBD?
The nature of this blog is a focus on how our lifestyle can impact disease and therefore to help people take control of their own health. While IBD is not a lifestyle disease if can be impacted by our nutrition, physical activity and mental wellbeing.
Information on eating well with Crohn’s and Colitis, maintaining mental wellbeing and peer support services can be found on the Crohn’s and Colitis UK website and can help empower you on your journey through this illness (5).
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