Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Causes
Medical research hasn't determined yet what causes inflammatory bowel disease. But based from researchers they believe that a number of factors may be involved, such as the environment, diet, and possibly genetics.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Definition
Inflammatory Bowel Disease refers to two chronic diseases that cause inflammation of the intestines: ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. While the diseases have some features in common, there are some important differences.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Diagnosis
Inflammatory bowel disease can be hard to diagnose because there may be no symptoms, even if the person's bowel has become increasingly damaged for years. Once symptom appears, they often resemble those of other conditions, which may make it difficult for doctors to diagnose.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Symptoms and Signs
The most common symptoms of both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are diarrhea and abdominal pain. Diarrhea can range from mild to severe as many as 20 or more visits to the bathroom per day. If the diarrhea is extreme, it can fall to dehydration, rapid heartbeat, and a drop in blood pressure. And continued loss of small amounts of blood in the stool may lead to anemia.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatment
Drug treatment is the main method for relieving the symptoms of both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Large progress is being made in the development of medications for treating inflammatory bowel disease. Your child's doctor may prescribe: anti-inflammatory drugs (used to decrease the inflammation caused by the disease), immunosuppressive agents (which work to restrain the immune system from attacking the body's own tissues and causing further inflammation).
Drugs used for treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Azathioprine
Imodium