The Misunderstood Connection Between Autoimmune Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome
Haemorrhoids, sprained ankles and inflammatory bowel disease all sound like they’re painful and uncomfortable, but do they have anything in common? The answer may surprise you! In this article, you’ll find out about the autoimmune link between inflammatory bowel syndrome and other diseases that affect your whole body, like lupus and multiple sclerosis.
What is IBD?
Inflammatory bowel disease, a chronic digestive condition in which the digestive system becomes inflamed, comes in two forms Crohn's disease can affect any part of the digestive tract and has been linked to more complications than ulcerative colitis. Although both are serious health conditions, ulcerative colitis does not often lead to major complications. The lining of the rectum is inflamed when someone has ulcerative colitis.
What is the connection between IBD and autoimmune disease?
Inflammation is the main symptom of both inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and autoimmune disease. The main difference between these two diseases is that IBD is a result of an immune system malfunction while autoimmune disease occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells. Even though they are different, there's still a connection between them because people with either IBD or autoimmune disease may suffer from chronic inflammation. IBS and inflammatory bowel syndrome are closely related because they're both bowel-related problems. There also may be a genetic component to inflammatory bowel disease because relatives of someone who has it often have an increased risk of developing it themselves. Finally, inflammatory bowel syndrome can cause some other health conditions including diverticulitis and Crohn's Disease which are both autoimmune diseases as well.
How does this connection impact treatment options?
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. The disease can be caused by an immune response to various proteins found in the intestinal lining or from a bacterial infection. The most common types of IBD are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. It affects about 1 million Americans with symptoms often including abdominal pain, diarrhoea, fever, weight loss, and inflammation of the skin around the eyes, mouth and anus.
What does this mean for patients?
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are often confused for patients with autoimmune disease. This can lead to misdiagnosis, which can delay treatment or cause unnecessary stress for the patient. It's important for doctors to be aware of the connection between IBD and autoimmune diseases in order to provide the correct diagnosis, so that each patient gets the care they need as soon as possible. If a patient is diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and has experienced symptoms related to their bowel system, it is crucial that they go see their doctor immediately before any damage can occur. The two types of bowel disorders are ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Ulcerative colitis is characterized by inflammation at the top layer of cells lining the colon, while Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus.
Blogs about health-related topics such as Inflammatory bowel syndrome can be helpful when you have concerns about your own health or someone else's health condition.
