How bad is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

depends on the severity. It can range to a minor inconvienience to major life disruption.

Inflammatory bowel disease (which is not the same thing as irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS) refers to two chronic diseases that cause inflammation of the intestines: ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Although the diseases have some features in common, there are some important differences.

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease of the large intestine, also called the colon. In ulcerative colitis, the inner lining - or mucosa - of the intestine becomes inflamed (meaning the lining of the intestinal wall reddens and swells) and develops ulcers (an ulcer is a sore, which means it's an open, painful wound). Ulcerative colitis is often the most severe in the rectal area, which can cause frequent diarrhea. Mucus and blood often appear in the stool (feces or poop) if the lining of the colon is damaged.

Crohn's disease differs from ulcerative colitis in the areas of the bowel it involves - it most commonly affects the last part of the small intestine (called the terminal ileum) and parts of the large intestine. However, Crohn's disease isn't limited to these areas and can attack any part of the digestive tract. Crohn's disease causes inflammation that extends much deeper into the layers of the intestinal wall than ulcerative colitis does. Crohn's disease generally tends to involve the entire bowel wall, whereas ulcerative colitis affects only the lining of the bowel.

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/medical... for more info.

It's pretty bad. An old acquaintance of mine had Crohn's. His life was not fun, lemme tell ya.

it depends on how bad it is. it could be cured quick or surgery might be required. its usually
not that severe though.

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For some people it can be really bad and interfere with their life, especially from the frequent and immediate bathroom use. But for others, it is just a minor inconvenience, especially if they have determined their triggers and have learned to control their IBS through life style changes. Even though IBS is not the same as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, it is similar any many ways.

For me, although I can handle each of these in moderation, too much of one, or a combination of several can trigger a lot of pain and an immediate run to the bathroom. My triggers are:

caffeine (some drinks more than others)
rich sauces with a lot of butter or oil
high fat foods
sweets
alcohol
preservative used on produce by some restaurants
stress
high fat dairy products

Examples:

I noticed flareups the most right before my wedding since I was really stressed.
If I order an ice tea from Applebees or Wendy's I regret it yet ice tea from other places do not bother me.
Certain restaurants use preservatives on their lettuce that will trigger a response so bad I can't even make it out of the restaurant without a long bathroom visit, so I stay away from salad bars.
If we go out for a full course Italian meal and I have wine, a rich dish, and desert - it runs right through me so I usually forgo the rich dish for something light.

To explain what a flare up is, some are worse than others, but they usually start with cramping and an immediate desire to use the bathroom. The pain and cramping is similar to that of food posioning. The heat rises in my body so quickly that I feel like taking off most of my clothes, as sweat drips down my forehead. Sometimes the pain is just uncomfortable and other times it is so intense that I am praying for relief. After my 20 minute bathroom visit, not only do I feel completely dehydrated, but I usually have to sit down for a couple of minutes to chill out. It can be quite embarassing if friends are waiting for you, especially in public.

Luckily for me, I've not had an episode in quite some time - about a year.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease is actually a category of diseases. The most well-known members of the category are Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn's Disease.

Crohn's and UC are similar in that they are chronic conditions that can be managed, but not cured, by medication and lifestyle changes. Patients with either disease can expect to suffer pain, diarrhea and/or constipation, bleeding, malnutrition, and generalized inflammatory response for the rest of their lives. Both can have life-threatening complications, such as bowel perforation, bowel obstructions, and fistulae, though fatalities are rare. In addition, both diseases significantly increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

Overall, however, Crohn's has the poorer prognosis, for a couple of reasons. First, UC is limited to involvement in the mucosa (lining) of the bowel, while Crohn's involves the deeper tissues of the bowel wall, increasing the chance of complications. In addition, UC does not present outside the colon, therefore, in severe cases resection or removal of the colon offers near-perfect removal of the disease. By contrast, Crohn's can occur anywhere in the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. Crohn's therefore stands a high chance of recurring even when the portion where it initially presents is removed, and the scarring and stenosis that can result from surgery often make it an unwise choice.

Pharmaceutical treatment for both diseases generally includes steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, narcotics for pain management, and immunosuppresants. Patients are also frequently encouraged to eat a low-residue diet, which means avoiding foods like vegetable skins, meat gristle and whole grains that add bulk to the stool, and to steer away from stressful situations, which can provoke flares.

IBD also includes several other types of colitis, as well as Behcet's disease, a rare autoimmune condition; the prognosis for these conditions varies. However, the rest of these conditions combine to make up only a fraction of the number of cases seen with either UC or Crohn's.