What are Inflammatory Bowel Diseases?

If you have recurring complaints such as abdominal pain, decreased appetite, diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue and fever, these may be signs of IBD. So what is this disease Inflammatory bowel disease is a term used to describe disorders that involve chronic inflammation of your digestive tract. Intermittent or long-term symptoms that negatively affect daily life can be seen in people with this disease, and the most common forms are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis: Refers to inflammation and sores in the lining of the large intestine and rectum.

Crohn's disease: This type of disease is characterized by inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract, which can often involve the deeper layers of the digestive tract. Both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are characterized by weight loss, diarrhea, fatigue, rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Symptoms

Inflammatory bowel disease symptoms vary according to the severity of the condition. Symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease include:

• Frequent recurrent diarrhea
• state of fatigue
• Abdominal pain and cramps
• bloody stool
• Anorexia
• Involuntary weight loss

Although the exact cause of inflammatory bowel diseases is not known, genetic factors, nutrition, stress, environmental factors and the immune system of the person may trigger it. For this reason, minor changes in the person's lifestyle and diet will be effective in the treatment process. Excessive consumption of caffeine, alcohol, milk and dairy products, spicy and fatty foods can worsen the symptoms of the condition. Therefore, consuming easily digestible foods is of great importance for the course of the disease. In addition, it is useful to follow the drugs taken by the person during the treatment process and to list the drugs taken with the foods consumed in order to observe the interaction of drugs and nutrients.

Diagnostic Methods of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

“How is Inflammatory Bowel Disease Diagnosed?” If you are wondering, you should know that the person's family history and complaints are listened to in the diagnosis of the condition. The doctor will also ask detailed questions about the person's bowel movements. After the physical examination, diagnosis and tests are also applied to the person. Diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease and tests:

Stool sample and blood test
A blood test and stool sample are important to detect infections. Blood tests are also used to differentiate ulcerative colitis and crohn's disease.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy
With this procedure, the doctor observes abnormalities in the colon and rectum.

Capsule endoscopy
In this method, which is used to examine the small intestine, the patient swallows a capsule with a camera. The camera in the capsule takes various photos. In this way, the progress of the situation can be followed.

Film or X-ray
It is mostly used in case of intestinal rupture and in emergency situations.

CT and MRI scans
CT scans, which are computerized X-rays, give more detailed results than standard system X-rays and allow to examine the small intestine and see complications. MRI scans also provide imaging magnetically.

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Treatment Methods

Crohn's and ulcerative colitis can remain hidden for years due to symptoms that can be confused with many other diseases. Therefore, making an accurate diagnosis is important for treatment. The treatment process is planned specifically for the patient and is followed by a gastroenterology specialist. The specialist can change the drugs according to the course of the treatment when he deems it necessary. If surgical procedure is deemed necessary during the treatment process, when the procedure will be performed is evaluated and decided together by the surgeon and gastroenterologist specializing in inflammatory bowel diseases. The main treatment processes are as follows:

Drug Treatment in Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Disease

In inflammatory diseases including Crohn's and ulcerative colitis disease, the drug treatment process is started first. The treatment process is planned accordingly, taking care not to use inflammatory bowel disease drugs for a long time. Surgical procedure is decided when there is no positive development in the treatment process with medication.

Surgical Treatment in Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Disease

The surgical procedure decision is made jointly by the surgeon and gastroenterology specialist who are following the patient and are experienced in this field. If a person has ulcerative colitis, all or most of the large intestine is surgically removed. In Crohn's disease, local treatment is applied to the area in diseases such as fistulas and abscesses around the anus. However, in some patients, this part is removed and the exposed intestinal ends are joined.

How Can Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Be Prevented?

There is not much that can be done to prevent inflammatory bowel diseases, but complaints can be reduced by making some changes in diet and lifestyle. What can be done is:

• Meals should be in small portions every 2 to 4 hours.
• Healthy ways to manage stress should be sought and applied.
• Regular and adequate sleep should be taken care of.
• An active physical life should be preferred.
• A food diary should be kept about the foods that increase the complaints.
• Foods that cause intestinal irritation, such as milk and dairy products, fibrous and spicy, should be reduced.
• Water consumption should be increased to reduce dehydration.
• Smoking should be stopped.

When to See a Doctor for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases?

A specialist should be consulted for symptoms such as extreme weight loss, severe diarrhea and abdominal pain, fever and dehydration.