Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disorder that causes an inflamed and swollen digestive tract or intestinal wall. When the digestive tract becomes inflamed or swollen with IBD, sores (ulcers) form and bleed. This in turn, can cause abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, blood in the stool, fatigue, reduced appetite, weight loss, or fever. The two most common forms of IBD are ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD).

A healthy digestive system removes nutrients from food so they can be absorbed into the bloodstream. It then stores the unwanted waste until it passes out of the body. Food moves from the esophagus to the small intestine, where the nutrients are absorbed. The leftover water and waste move to the large intestine (colon), then through the rectum and out the anus.