Your Health Questions
Answered by Professionals

Leaving IBD untreated is generally not recommended; even when symptoms seem mild, silent inflammation can progress and cause irreversible bowel damage, higher chances of surgery, nutrient deficiencies, and increased colorectal cancer risk, along with problems in the joints, skin, eyes, and liver. There are several factors to consider, and treatment can be stepwise and tailored; see below for important details, warning signs that need prompt care, and how to work with a clinician to choose the safest next steps.

No, IBS cannot be cured permanently. Many people achieve long-term control or remission with personalized diet changes, stress-focused therapies, targeted medications, and healthy habits, and IBS is not life threatening nor does it turn into IBD. There are several factors to consider; see below to understand more, including how to tell IBS from IBD, the red flag symptoms that need urgent care, and practical next steps to tailor your management.

Yes, many people with IBD live full, active, and productive lives by managing the condition with modern treatments, regular follow up, and practical daily routines tailored to their needs. There are several factors to consider; see below for key details on flares and remission, mental health support, diet and exercise, work and school accommodations, family planning, serious warning signs that need urgent care, and how to tell IBD from IBS, which can guide your next steps.

There is currently no universal cure for inflammatory bowel disease; many people can achieve long-term remission with modern treatments, and while colectomy can effectively eliminate ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s often returns after surgery. There are several factors to consider. See below for the complete answer, including details on remission goals, treatment options, lifestyle support, warning signs that need medical care, and how to choose the right next steps with your clinician.

Yes, many people with Crohn’s live long lives into their 90s and even 100 when the disease is well controlled through modern treatments, routine monitoring, and healthy lifestyle choices. There are several factors to consider, including complication prevention, management of other health conditions, and timely care, and risk is higher during periods of poor control. See below for the complete answer and practical next steps to discuss with your healthcare provider.

Yes, sometimes, but with important limits: Buscopan may help short term cramping in Crohn’s that is stable or in remission, when pain is due to spasm and there is no known or suspected stricture or blockage, and only with clinician guidance. It does not treat inflammation and can mask or worsen serious problems during a flare, especially with severe pain, vomiting, fever, or increasing bloating, so speak to your doctor; key precautions, side effects, drug interactions, and safer next steps appear below.

Inflammatory bowel disease develops from a complex interaction of genetics, an overactive immune system, disrupted gut bacteria, and environmental triggers like smoking, certain infections, frequent antibiotic use, highly processed diets, and urban living. It is not caused by stress, poor hygiene, or “eating the wrong foods,” is not contagious, and is different from IBS; there are several factors to consider, and the complete details below can guide your risk awareness, when to seek care, and steps that may support gut health.

Most people with IBD live a normal or near-normal lifespan with modern treatment and regular monitoring. Life expectancy is often similar to the general population in ulcerative colitis and only slightly reduced on average in Crohn’s, depending on disease control and complications. There are several factors to consider, including severity, complications, lifestyle, mental health, and cancer screening, so see below for important details that could shape your next steps and when to seek urgent care.

IBD flare-ups can last from a few days to several months. Mild episodes often settle in days to 2 to 3 weeks, while moderate to severe flares can stretch for weeks to months, particularly if treatment is delayed. Duration also varies by disease type and key factors, with Crohn’s flares often longer than ulcerative colitis and earlier treatment and good adherence helping shorten them; see below for important details that can guide next steps, including when to seek care and which treatments act fastest.

Confirmation of inflammatory bowel disease relies on a stepwise approach that combines symptoms and exam with blood tests for inflammation, stool markers like fecal calprotectin to rule out infection and distinguish from IBS, and a colonoscopy with biopsies to confirm and classify Crohn’s disease vs ulcerative colitis; imaging helps assess small bowel involvement and complications. There are several factors to consider that can change your next steps, including conditions to rule out and red flag symptoms that need prompt care. See the complete details below.

IBD is usually not life threatening, and with modern care most people have near normal life expectancy and lead full lives. That said, severe or poorly controlled IBD can become dangerous due to complications like major bleeding, bowel perforation, toxic megacolon, blood clots, serious infections, dehydration, malnutrition, and a higher long term risk of colorectal cancer. There are several factors to consider for monitoring, red flag symptoms, and prevention steps, so review the complete answer below to understand what to watch for and when to seek care.

Joint pain with diarrhea is often one condition, commonly inflammatory bowel disease, reactive arthritis after a gut infection, celiac disease, spondyloarthropathies, or medication effects. To choose the right next steps, see the details below on red flags and when to seek urgent care, the timelines that connect infections to joint flares, which tests confirm IBD or celiac, medication review, and practical self-care you can start today.

Early symptoms of IBD often include diarrhea that lasts for weeks, abdominal cramping, blood or mucus in the stool, urgent or nighttime bowel movements, and fatigue, sometimes with unintended weight loss, low-grade fever, or joint pain. There are several factors to consider; red flags like bleeding, weight loss, or symptoms persisting more than 2 to 3 weeks should prompt a doctor visit, and important details that can guide your next steps are explained below.

There are several factors to consider. See below to understand more. Key red flags include persistent diarrhea (especially at night), blood or mucus in the stool, recurrent abdominal pain, unintended weight loss, ongoing fatigue, unexplained fevers, anemia or low iron, and symptoms outside the gut such as joint pain, eye pain, mouth ulcers, skin rashes, or poor growth in children; these are not typical of IBS and should prompt timely medical evaluation, with urgent care for bleeding, diarrhea lasting more than 2 to 3 weeks, severe or worsening pain, fever, dehydration, or symptoms disrupting sleep.

The two main triggers are an abnormal immune system response often shaped by genetics, and environmental factors that disrupt the gut and immune balance. They usually act together to spark chronic inflammation, and there are several factors to consider; see below for key examples of environmental triggers, how genetics modifies risk, and when to seek care that could influence your next steps.

Key warning signs of IBD include persistent diarrhea that may wake you at night, ongoing abdominal pain or cramping, blood or mucus in the stool, and urgent or frequent bowel movements; whole body clues like fatigue that does not improve with rest, unintended weight loss, low grade fever, and joint, skin, eye, or mouth problems can also occur. There are several factors to consider. See below for important details on red flag symptoms that need urgent care, how IBD differs from IBS, special signs in children such as delayed growth, and when to contact a doctor to plan next steps.

IBD often feels like ongoing abdominal pain or cramping, frequent urgent diarrhea that may include blood or mucus, and deep fatigue, sometimes with symptoms outside the gut like joint pain, skin changes, or eye irritation; symptoms typically flare and then ease for periods. There are several factors to consider. See below to learn how Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis can differ, which warning signs need urgent care, how IBD differs from IBS, and what evaluations and treatments can guide your next steps.

Common foods that can worsen bowel inflammation include ultra processed foods, added sugars and refined carbs, red and processed meats, high fat and fried foods, alcohol, certain artificial sweeteners, and for some people dairy or rough high fiber foods during flares. While diet does not cause IBD, these choices can disrupt the gut lining and microbiome and may aggravate inflammation and symptoms, with tolerance varying widely by person. There are several factors to consider, including differences between IBD and IBS, how flares change what you can tolerate, and when to seek medical care; see below to understand more and to find practical food swaps and next steps.

A common cause is an abnormal immune response in the gut, shaped by genetics, the gut microbiome, and environmental triggers. There are several factors to consider, like family history, microbiome imbalance, smoking, diet patterns, certain medications, and issues with the intestinal barrier. See below for complete details and guidance that could affect your next steps in care.

There is no single cause of inflammatory bowel disease; it results from a complex interaction of immune system dysregulation, genetic susceptibility, gut microbiome imbalance, and environmental factors like smoking, diet, antibiotic exposure, and urban living. There are several factors to consider. See below for important details on what does not cause IBD, how stress and infections fit in, how it differs from IBS, and when to seek medical care, which can influence your next steps.

There is no single, proven cause; IBD develops from an overactive, misdirected immune response in genetically susceptible people, shaped by gut microbiome imbalances and environmental triggers like smoking, certain dietary patterns, early-life antibiotics, and some medicines. There are several factors to consider. See below for key details that can influence next steps, including testing and early medical evaluation, lifestyle changes such as smoking cessation and diet, and what does not cause IBD so you can focus on what matters.

There is no single root cause of inflammatory bowel disease. It develops when genetic susceptibility meets environmental triggers that disrupt the gut microbiome and intestinal barrier, provoking an abnormal immune response and chronic intestinal inflammation. There are several factors to consider. For important details that could shape testing, treatment choices, and when to seek care, see below.

Treatment for bowel inflammation from IBD is individualized and centers on medications that reduce inflammation and maintain remission, including aminosalicylates, short-term steroids for flares, immunomodulators, biologic therapies, and small-molecule drugs, supported by nutrition and lifestyle measures. Surgery may be needed for complications or severe disease and can be curative in ulcerative colitis but not in Crohn’s, with long-term monitoring to prevent flares and complications; there are several factors to consider, so see the complete details below.

IBD is treated with medications that control inflammation and maintain remission, including aminosalicylates, short-term corticosteroids for flares, immunomodulators, biologic therapies, and newer small-molecule pills; some people also need surgery, which can be curative for ulcerative colitis but not for Crohn’s. Care is individualized and also includes nutrition, lifestyle support, and ongoing monitoring to prevent complications; there are several factors to consider, so see below for key differences by disease type and severity, medication risks, and when to contact a doctor.

IBD pain is usually felt in the lower abdomen: Crohn’s often causes pain on the lower right side near the terminal ileum, while ulcerative colitis more often causes lower left and rectal pain; some people also feel central pain or discomfort around the belly button that can spread. There are several factors to consider, including pain outside the abdomen such as in the joints or lower back and symptoms that may need urgent care. See below for important details that can affect which next steps you take in your healthcare journey.

Managing ulcerative colitis after 50 focuses on sustaining remission with the right medications, regular colon cancer surveillance, protecting bone health, keeping vaccines up to date, and using tailored nutrition, exercise, and stress management. There are several factors to consider; see below for details on medication choices and risks after 50, timing of colonoscopy and bone density checks, what to eat during flares versus remission, urgent warning signs, and how to build a strong care team to guide your next steps.

They are not the same disease, but they are related through immune system dysfunction, and people with ulcerative colitis have a higher than average risk of celiac disease, and vice versa. Because symptoms can overlap and gluten does not cause ulcerative colitis, celiac disease should be considered and tested for, ideally before going gluten free, if persistent symptoms, weight loss, anemia, nutrient deficiencies, or a family history are present; there are several factors to consider, see below for complete details that could influence which next steps to take with your healthcare provider.

They are separate conditions affecting the colon and do not directly cause each other, though symptoms can overlap and some people may have both. There are several factors to consider, including key differences in cause, course, and treatment, and when to seek care; see below for complete details that could influence your next steps.

Yes, they are related, but not in a simple, direct way; there are several factors to consider. They share autoimmune inflammation, overlapping pathways, and a modestly increased chance of joint problems, yet most people with ulcerative colitis never develop true rheumatoid arthritis and many joint issues are IBD related rather than RA; key signs, risks, and treatment overlaps that could change your next steps are explained below.

Sometimes, but not always. Ulcerative colitis itself does not automatically weaken the immune system, and people in remission who are not on immune suppressing medications are generally not considered immunocompromised. Risk increases mainly with treatments that suppress immunity, like corticosteroids, immunomodulators, biologics, or JAK inhibitors, and can also rise with severe flares or recent surgery, so there are several factors to consider; see below for important details that may affect vaccines, infection precautions, and the next steps you take with your clinician.