Ibd Treatment Process

Inflammatory Bowel Disease, or IBD for short, refers to two forms of inflammatory conditions involving the gastrointestinal tract. Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic disease that affects the colon and rectum, together known as the large intestine. The inner lining of the large intestine becomes inflamed and ulcers could form on the surface. Crohn’s Disease is also a chronic disease that causes inflammation in several parts of the digestive tract (Sklar X10). It can affect anywhere in the GI tract. However, inflammation is commonly found in the end of the small bowel and the beginning of the large intestine (Sklar).   It is estimated that twenty percent of people worldwide suffer from IBD (Wangen 27). Patients with IBD are offered no cure because there is no identifiable cause for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. However, treatment is offered to IBD patients to suppress or alleviate these symptoms. The treatment process of Inflammatory Bowel Disease consists of the testing phase, dietary changes, medication, and surgeries.
TESTING PHASE
Physicians see about three and half million patients a year; almost thirty percent of people who have an appointment with a gastroenterologist, a doctor who specializes in digestive diseases, unfortunately are diagnosed with IBD (Wangen 27). Warning signs for Inflammatory Bowel Disease consists of:   extreme abdominal pain, blood in the stool, constant diarrhea, loss of appetite, fever, chronic fatigue, diarrhea at night, rapid weight loss, nausea and vomiting (Pimentel 71). The testing phase for Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients will tell the gastroenterologist if the patient has Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s Disease. If the patient is diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, the testing phase will tell the medical professional how severe the inflammation is and where it is located in the gastrointestinal tract (Pimentel 135). A person with Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s Disease goes through a series of tests each year (Sklar 23). The...