You’ve Been Diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Here’s How to Move Forward.

What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

Inflammatory Bowel Disease, also known as IBD, is chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and a term used for two common conditions: Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. The exact causes of both conditions are unknown, but IBD is typically diagnosed through a series of lab tests and procedures conducted by your doctor.

Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis have a few differences despite similar symptoms.

Crohn’s Disease

• Can affect any part of the GI tract
• Inflammation can be present in multiple layers along the GI tract
• Damaged areas are patchy

Ulcerative Colitis

• Occurs only in the large intestine and rectum
• Occurs only in the innermost layer of the walls of the colon
• Damaged areas are continuous

Moving Forward with a Diagnosis

If you were recently diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, you are probably looking for answers and treatment . There are a number of effective options available to both treat your IBD and reduce your symptoms so that you can go about your daily life as normal as possible.

Depending on your diagnosis, you and your doctor can tailor a treatment plan to your needs. For both Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, many of the prescribed treatment medications and steroids aim to accomplish the same thing: decrease inflammation in the GI tract. Outside of a prescribed regimen, you may continue to experience symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, cramping and more. To manage these symptoms, your doctor or health care professional may suggest over-the-counter medicines to help aid digestion and reduce pain.

In addition to medication, when living with inflammatory bowel disease, it’s important to also pay attention to and potentially modify your diet. You should talk to your doctor about what diet may be right for you and keeping a food journal to log your meals may help you identify what foods may or may not be tolerable. Foods that are commonly helpful for IBD are plain foods like white bread, white rice, bananas, refined pastas, broth, canned fruits, cooked veggies, and steamed fish. Alternatively, uncooked vegetables and fresh fruit, along with high fiber, high sugar and high fat foods commonly cause flare ups. Both Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis vary from person to person and can change over time. You should discuss diet with your physician to avoid flare ups and manage your IBD. (source: Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation)

Joining a clinical trial may also be an option, especially if current management or available treatment options aren’t working for you. Clinical trials provide early access to potential treatment options at no cost, administered under the care and supervision of a study doctor. Criteria to be included vary by study. Consult with your doctor to determine if joining a clinical trial may be an option for you. You can also search for clinical trials on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Tackling IBD One Step at a Time

Receiving an IBD diagnosis may leave you with a lot of emotions, questions, and concerns about the condition. Luckily there is a lot of information about how IBD may affect you and the steps you can take to manage your symptoms. A great first step is talking to your doctor or health care provider about a treatment plan that will be right for you. With the right treatment, you can reduce and end symptoms and flare ups, and gain control of inflammation.