{"id":10102,"date":"2025-04-07T12:55:43","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T12:55:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bloodtestbooking.com\/?p=10102"},"modified":"2025-04-07T12:55:43","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T12:55:43","slug":"inflammatory-bowel-disease-what-is-it-and-why-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloodtestbooking.com\/thyrocare\/inflammatory-bowel-disease-what-is-it-and-why-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Inflammatory bowel disease: what is it? And why?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) refers to a group of chronic conditions that lead to inflammation in the digestive tract. The two most common forms of IBD are Crohn\u2019s disease<\/strong> and ulcerative colitis<\/strong>. These conditions can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea. Read on to learn more about IBD, including its types, causes, and how it is diagnosed.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n


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What Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Inflammatory bowel disease is a long-lasting condition that causes inflammation and discomfort in the intestines. It typically develops in people between the ages of 15 and 30<\/strong>. Although IBD is a lifelong condition, proper treatment can help manage its symptoms and improve quality of life.<\/p>\n


\n

Types of Inflammatory Bowel Disease<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The two primary types of IBD are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    Ulcerative Colitis:<\/strong> This condition leads to inflammation and sores (ulcers) in the lining of the large intestine or colon<\/strong>. The severity and location of the inflammation determine the specific type of ulcerative colitis a person may have.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Crohn\u2019s Disease:<\/strong> Unlike ulcerative colitis, Crohn\u2019s disease can affect any part of the digestive tract<\/strong>, from the mouth to the anus. However, it most commonly impacts the small intestine<\/strong> or the beginning of the large intestine<\/strong>. Research shows that Crohn\u2019s disease often develops between the ages of 20 and 29<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n


    \n

    IBD vs. IBS: What\u2019s the Difference?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    It’s important to distinguish between Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)<\/strong> and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • \n

      IBD<\/strong> is a chronic inflammatory condition<\/strong> that causes actual damage to the digestive tract.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      IBS<\/strong>, sometimes called a nervous stomach<\/strong>, is a functional gastrointestinal disorder<\/strong>. It affects bowel movement and digestion but does not cause inflammation or physical damage<\/strong> to the intestines.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      IBS doesn\u2019t increase the risk of colon cancer, and it rarely requires hospitalization. Unlike IBD, IBS cannot be detected through imaging scans.<\/p>\n


      \n

      What Causes Inflammatory Bowel Disease?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      The exact cause of IBD is still unknown, but several contributing factors may increase a person\u2019s risk:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • \n

        Genetics:<\/strong> Research shows that individuals with a family history of IBD<\/strong> are more likely to develop the condition.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Immune System Dysfunction:<\/strong> Normally, the immune system protects the body from harmful bacteria and viruses. However, in some cases, an abnormal immune response<\/strong> may cause the digestive tract to remain inflamed for extended periods, especially during an autoimmune reaction<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Environmental Factors:<\/strong> A 2019 study suggested that people living in urban or industrial areas<\/strong>, where consumption of processed foods<\/strong> is higher and physical activity is lower, may face a higher risk of developing IBD.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Age and Smoking:<\/strong> While IBD can develop at any age, it most commonly appears between 15 and 30 years old<\/strong>. Smoking<\/strong>, particularly, is a well-known risk factor for Crohn\u2019s disease<\/strong> and can worsen its symptoms.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n


        \n

        How Is IBD Diagnosed?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

        To diagnose IBD, a healthcare provider will start with a physical examination<\/strong> and ask about your medical and family history<\/strong>. Several diagnostic tests<\/strong> may be required, such as blood tests, stool tests, and imaging scans, to confirm inflammation and rule out other conditions.<\/p>\n

        For convenient and affordable testing, Thyrocare<\/strong> offers a variety of diagnostic packages with the added benefit of free home sample collection<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) refers to a group of chronic conditions that lead to inflammation in the digestive tract. The two most common forms of IBD are Crohn\u2019s disease and ulcerative colitis. These conditions can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea. Read on to learn more about IBD, including its types, causes, and how it is diagnosed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10103,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategory"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bloodtestbooking.com\/thyrocare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bloodtestbooking.com\/thyrocare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bloodtestbooking.com\/thyrocare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bloodtestbooking.com\/thyrocare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bloodtestbooking.com\/thyrocare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10102"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bloodtestbooking.com\/thyrocare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10102\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10104,"href":"https:\/\/bloodtestbooking.com\/thyrocare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10102\/revisions\/10104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bloodtestbooking.com\/thyrocare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10103"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bloodtestbooking.com\/thyrocare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bloodtestbooking.com\/thyrocare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bloodtestbooking.com\/thyrocare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}