Overview
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to diseases that cause chronic inflammation in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Its symptoms may come on suddenly (flares) and cause intense stomach cramps and diarrhea, among other issues. But IBD can affect more than your gut — it can affect your overall physical health, emotional well-being and even your mental health.
Inflammatory bowel disease is a lifelong illness for which there’s no cure. This may sound grim. But there are treatments that manage IBD symptoms, and steps you can take to keep IBD from disrupting your life.
Types of IBD
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the main types of IBD:
- Crohn’s disease: This disease causes sores (ulcers) in your GI tract. It can affect any part of your GI tract, from your mouth to your anus (butthole), but it typically develops in your small intestine and the upper part of your large intestine.
- Ulcerative colitis (UC): UC causes swelling and sores (ulcers) in your large intestine. It usually starts in your rectum and can spread to part or all of your colon.
How common is IBD?
Experts estimate that 1.6 million people in the U.S. have IBD. The disease can affect anyone from young children to adults age 65 and older. But it most commonly affects people ages 15 to 35.
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