The 2 Main Types of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Posted by Clinical Care Options, LLC on July 25th, 2019

Inflammatory bowel disease or IBD is the name for a group of diseases that involve chronic inflammation in the digestive tract. There are two main types of intestinal disorders in this classification: ulcerative colitis and Chron's disease.

These two diseases have similar symptoms, so they're quite tricky to diagnose. That's why you need to familiarize yourself with these illnesses. You can do your research about them and sign up for IBD CE courses. Read on to learn more about them.

Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis causes ulcers and enduring inflammation in a person's digestive tract. This mostly affects a continuous portion of the lining of the large intestine and the rectum. Medical professionals have yet to determine the exact cause of this disease, but it's mostly the effect of an immune system disorder. During an infection, the white blood cells attack bacteria and viruses but attack healthy colon tissue as well. Symptoms for this form of IBD include:

• Diarrhea with blood or pus discharge
• Rectal discomfort and bleeding
• Abdominal cramps
• Weight loss
• Stunted growth in children
• Fatigue
• Fever

This illness is often diagnosed using medical exams, such as blood tests, colonoscopies, CT scans, and more to confirm its presence and rule out other disorders. Treatment for this condition is targeted toward stopping inflammation and helping make the disease go into remission.

Chron's Disease

This condition involves the inflammation of the digestive tract. Unlike ulcerative colitis, the swelling may be found in isolated areas, with healthy portions in between. In many cases, it has known to affect the tail end of the small intestine, also known as the ileum. Like the first IBD mentioned, doctors have yet to figure out its cause; they mostly credit it to immune system malfunctions, however. Symptoms of Chron's disease include:

• Diarrhea with blood or pus discharge
• Rectal discomfort and bleeding
• Abdominal cramps
• Mouth sores
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Inflammation of the skin, eyes, joints, liver, or bile ducts

Just like ulcerative colitis, treatment involves taking medications to reduce the inflammation and also normalize the immune system.

Continuously learning about these diseases can help you diagnose patients more accurately and administer the right treatment immediately to prevent intestinal damage. Take up IBD CEcourses to further study the differences between these two and other disorders that may attack the digestive tract.