Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) causes inflammation of the digestive system, mainly the large and small intestines.http://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/default.htm http://www.mayoclinic.org/ibd/ Inflammatory bowel disease is an abnormal reaction to bacteria in the intestines. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are two common forms of inflammatory bowel diseases. Individuals with a strong family history of inflammatory bowel disease are at high risk of experiencing symptoms..http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm

Inflammatory bowel disease can cause secondary health problems such as arthritis, joint pain, brittle bones that can cause weak bones and bone breakage, eye inflammation, liver inflammation, kidney stones, gallstones, rash or ulcers on the skin, and poor absorption of nutrients in the small intestines. In children with inflammatory bowel disease, puberty can be slow to develop and can be short in stature.http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm

Inflammatory bowel disease can be misdiagnosed as another condition of the intestines such as celiac disease, cancer, diverticulitis, appendicitis, or amyloidosis.http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/gastroenterology/inflammatory-bowel-disease/

Symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease can vary depending on the person. Some of the common symptoms are:

• Pain in the abdomen on a continuous basishttp://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm
• Watery or bloody diarrhea, more than one bowel movement dailyhttp://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm
• Sudden weight loss that cannot be explainedhttp://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm
• Sudden loss of appetitehttp://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm
• Rectal bleedinghttp://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm
• Pain in the jointshttp://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm
• Skin problemshttp://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm
• Feverhttp://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm

To diagnosis inflammatory bowel disease, a number of tests are used.

• Blood tests are used to diagnose inflammation, and will test for anemia to see if there is internal bleedinghttp://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm
• Stool test to find blood and cells of infectionshttp://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm
• Colonoscopy is used internally to look at the large intestines and the end of the small intestines for bleeding and inflammationhttp://www.mayoclinic.org/ibd/diagnosis.html
• After a patient drinks a thick barium liquid, x-rays are taken to find any abnormalities in the digestive trackhttp://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm

The treatment a doctor may prescribe will depend on what the cause of inflammatory bowel disease is, and how severe the symptoms are.

• A doctor may prescribe medications such as aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunomodulators, and antibioticshttp://www.mayoclinic.org/ibd/treatment.html
• Surgery may be performed if medication does not workhttp://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm
• A change in diet may help relieve symptoms in some patientshttp://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm#i
• Nutritional supplements may be prescribed if nutrients are not being absorbedhttp://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm
• Some patients find that reducing stress, relaxation and rest reduce symptomshttp://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/inflammatory-bowel-disease.cfm

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact a doctor before using the information presented here.