Tuesday the 19th of May is International Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) day. The day aims to bring awareness to IBD, and support people with IBD and their carers.

IBD refers to Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis, incurable disorders of the gut and sometimes other body systems. Common symptoms of these disorders are caused by gut inflammation – abdominal pain, bloody or mucousy stools, bloating, diarrhoea and sometimes weight loss and fatigue. Symptoms can be mild or severe, and can be relapsing/remitting.

Blood investigations often show a raised white cell count, raised inflammatory marker (CRP) and sometimes iron deficiency. There is usually evidence of gut damage seen during colonoscopy, or on imaging tests such as CT scan.

Sometimes IBD is confused with irritable bowel disease – the difference between the two conditions is that although they cause the same symptoms, with irritable bowel disease there is no gut damage, and all of the above tests are normal.

IBD treatment focuses on reducing gut inflammation and symptoms, and correcting nutritional deficiencies. This usually involves medication (some of these suppress the immune system), close attention to diet and nutrition and sometimes surgery.

Whole person care also pays attention to the emotional side of dealing with a chronic disease, vaccination, cancer screening, exercise and smoking cessation – areas that your GP can assist with. GP’s can develop a chronic disease management plan, which enables subsidised access to many allied health professionals including dietitians, exercise physiologists and psychologists.

It is also important to talk to your GP if you are planning a pregnancy – while these diseases may not necessarily affect fertility (female and male) the best outcomes occur when inflammation is well controlled.

For further information ask your friendly GP, or visit:

The Gastroenterological Society of Australia  OR  The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation

This article has been written by Dr Marie Leknys