Understand the Signs of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
4/7/2023
Most people in society today experience the disagreeable GI symptoms of IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) and usually believe these symptoms are just a reality they’ll have to live with for the rest of their lives. Our gastroenterology specialists in Thibodaux, LA want you to know, though, that their patients do not need to submit to this pain. Help is available to you — and it’s within earshot. At Digestive Health Center, we are here to help patients with their GI symptoms and offer a range of treatment options that may help you get back to living your best life.
What exactly is IBD?
IBD is the chronic inflammation of a patient’s gastrointestinal tract. You’ve probably heard of two conditions that fall into this disease — Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. It may feel like irritating symptoms you just have to accept; however, intestinal inflammation can result in invariable damage to the GI tract over time.
Though the actual cause of inflammatory bowel disease has yet to be determined, it’s generally linked to an unchecked immune system. It is thought that a person who has inflammatory bowel disease has an immune system that does not respond to environmental triggers (viruses or bacteria) appropriately and has a family member who has IBD.
General signs and symptoms of IBD are:
- Stomach pain
- Constipation
- Unexpected loss of weight
- Diarrhea
- Bloody stool
- Exhaustion
How is IBD treated?
After a diagnosis of IBD, our primary goal is to lessen inflammation of your intestines and to reduce as many of your symptoms as possible. There are several treatment options we can try, and our goal is that, ultimately, you will experience prolonged remission. Common treatments are:
- Supplements such as Vitamin D, iron, calcium, and more
- Anti-diarrheal medicine
- Anti-inflammatory medicines
- Dietary changes
Our GI specialists at Digestive Health Center are here to help you find an ideal treatment for your expectations. It could take a bit of experimentation to determine the right treatment that helps reduce symptoms and intestinal inflammation, but our specialists will help you during the process to find you the best treatment approach.
Get help for inflammatory bowel disease in Thibodaux, LA
If you have stomach pain, difficulty passing stool, loose and/or watery stool, or other bothersome GI signs and symptoms regularly, it might be IBD. At Digestive Health Center in Thibodaux, LA, our team of experienced GI specialists is here to help determine, diagnose, evaluate, and control IBD and the uncomfortable symptoms that are associated with it. If you expect you might have IBD and are seeking to get back to living life with less stress and symptoms, you can contact your nearby Digestive Health Center location to schedule an appointment.