IBD stands for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The most common causes of IBD are Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis. IBD includes chronic inflammation of the gut, generally at the level of the colon and small intestines. It occurs in genetically susceptible individuals after an exaggerated immune response to a normal stimulus, such as food, tobacco, or intestinal microbes (gut bacteria). Chronic inflammation of the gut is one of the causes of colon cancer (polyps are another common cause).
Symptoms of IBD include abdominal pain, abnormal bowel movements with blood or mucus in the stool, loss of appetite, poor growth in children, or weight loss in adults. IBD can decrease the absorption of vitamins and minerals in food. Sometimes a special diet is required. Many times special medicines aimed at healing the gut lining, and stopping the body from attacking the gut bacteria are required. IBD is generally treated under the care team of a gastroenterology specialist and your primary care provider.
Anyone with chronic gut inflammation is at increased risk of colon cancer and needs to undergo colon cancer screening more often than the general population. Current guidelines for the general population is to have a colonoscopy every 10 years, starting at age 45. For someone with IBD, patients who have unexplained inflammation symptoms and bleeding should have a colonoscopy at diagnosis, and possibly every 1-2 years, or at the advice of their gastroenterologist.
Reference is www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org, accessed 10/21/22.