IBD Treatment in Rochester, NY
What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) involves chronic intestinal disorders causing inflammation of all or part of your digestive tract. IBD consists of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Both usually involve severe diarrhea, pain, fatigue and weight loss. IBD can be debilitating and sometimes leads to life-threatening complications. If you are experiencing symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, contact Rochester Colon & Rectal Surgeons to discuss the diagnosis and treatment available at our six colorectal surgery centers in Rochester, NY. To schedule your consultation with our colorectal surgeons, please call (585) 222-6566 today.
While there seems to be no specific cause of IBD, many medical professionals believe there’s a heavy genetic component, and you are more likely develop IBD if a direct relative has it. Others think it also has to do with immune system responses. When people get viral or bacterial infections, the immune system triggers a response that can inflame the digestive tract, and the inflammation goes away when the infection is gone. However, in cases for patients with IBD, the digestive tract sometimes gets inflamed without cause and attacks its own cells. This type of inflammation can cause IBD as well.
What are Symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
With both types of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, you may have periods of normalcy and other times when symptoms disrupt your daily life.
IBD affects the gut or the large intestine and colon. When you eat food and it passes through your intestines, the wall of the bowel slowly helps to break down the food.
The gut wall is sensitive. If you have IBD, your immune system mistakes foods as foreign substances. This means it releases antibodies to fight off this treat and it causes IBD symptoms such as:
- Cramping
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Gas
- Loss of appetite
- Upset stomach
We do not know what causes IBS, but some triggers may include:
- Infections
- Environmental stress
- Medications
- Family history or genetics
How Will I Know if I Have Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
If you have are worried you may have IBD, talk to your colorectal specialist about your symptoms. It can be frustrating to live with these complications, and your colorectal specialist can perform several screenings to get the answers you need.
Seek medical attention if you have:
- Blood in your stool
- Extreme weight loss
- Fever
However, it’s important to know that while ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are under the IBD umbrella, they have their own distinct characteristics.
Ulcerative Colitis
Symptoms include rectal bleeding, diarrhea abdominal cramps, weight loss and fever. In addition, patients who have had extensive ulcerative colitis for many years are at an increased risk to develop large bowel cancer.
Crohn’s Disease
Unlike Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease not isolated to one area, it can affect any part of the GI tract from the mouth down to the colon. It typically affects the end of the small bowel, called the ileum, and the beginning of the colon.
Schedule an Appointment for IBD Treatment in Rochester Today!
For more information on IBS, Chrohn’s Disease, and Ulcerative Colitis contact Rochester Colon & Rectal Surgeons, P.C. if you begin to notice a serious change in your bowel health. To schedule a consultation with our board-certified colorectal surgeons, please call (585) 222-6566 to request an appointment at one of our six colorectal surgery centers in Rochester, NY.