by If you are experiencing cramping or intense pain in the abdomen, often in the lower part of the abdomen, followed by diarrhoea, blood in the stool, tiredness and weight loss, you might have inflammatory bowel disease. It is a chronic condition that causes swelling and damage in the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the two types of inflammatory bowel disease.
Food digestion, nutrient absorption, and waste removal all happen within the GI tract. Inflammation and damage impair the ability of affected organs to work properly, leading to IBD symptoms. Persistent IBD can impair the absorption of essential nutrients leading to weight loss, vitamin deficiencies, poor health and delayed growth in children. It can also cause other complications, such as bowel obstruction and digestive problems.
What Are the Main Symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) symptoms vary from person to person, and may change over time. It can be mild or severe. Individuals who have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) frequently experience remissions, which means that there will be times when they observe no symptoms and there will be times when the symptoms suddenly flares up. The common symptoms of IBD include:
- Anaemia
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea with blood or mucus
- Urgent need to move the bowels
- Sensation of incomplete evacuation
- Arthritis
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Pediatric growth disorders
- Night sweats
- Loss of normal menstrual cycle
What Are the Main Causes of Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
While the exact cause of IBD is unknown, it is recognised that genes, the immune system, and environmental factors are collectively responsible for inflammatory bowel disease. IBD occurs in genetically susceptible individuals after an inappropriate immune response to the intestinal flora. The immune system responds incorrectly to the intestinal tract, which causes inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. If you have a family history of IBD, you are more likely to develop this condition.
What Are the Best Preventive Strategies for Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
The first and foremost step towards preventing Inflammatory Bowel Disease is to have smaller, more frequent meals. It is found to be better tolerated by the digestive tract. Here are some other effective ways to prevent IBD flareups:
- Avoid food items such as fresh fruits and vegetables, prunes, and caffeinated beverages that could increase stool output.
- Reduce the amount of concentrated sweets in your diet, such as juices, candies, and soda, since this can aid in lowering the quantity of water drawn into your intestines and cause watery stools.
- Cut back on your alcohol intake.
- Increase the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet or through supplements.
- If you have limited appetite and trouble digesting solid foods, consider taking nutritional supplements.
- To reduce diarrhoea and abdominal pain, adopt a low-residue diet.
- Include probiotics to maintain healthy bacteria.
- It is especially crucial to stay away from nuts, seeds, beans, and kernels if you have any dietary restrictions.
- Adopt a lactose-free diet, including plant-based milk, if you are intolerant to lactose.
- If your faeces are greasy and smell bad, you might be suffering from fat malabsorption. Reduce your fat intake by eating a low-fat diet.
What Are the Best Medications for Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
Although IBD cannot currently be cured, it can be managed with the right care and lifestyle changes. To reduce inflammation, and cramps and ease symptoms, usually combinations of medicines are prescribed. In addition, dietary modifications, stress reduction, and adequate hydration can assist with IBD management. Here is the list of best medications for IBD:
- Aminosalicylates: These medications help reduce inflammation in the intestines. These are used to treat mild to moderate IBD, such as ulcerative colitis. The commonly prescribed aminosalicylates include sulfasalazine, mesalamine, and balsalazide.
- Immunomodulators: These medicines reduce inflammation by inhibiting the immune system. They are frequently used as maintenance therapy to assist patients in achieving and maintaining remission from IBD or stopping flare-ups. The commonly prescribed immunomodulators include Azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), and methotrexate.
- Corticosteroids: Steroids are used for short-term management of IBD symptoms. The commonly prescribed Corticosteroids include prednisone, prednisolone, and budesonide.
- Biologics: These are used to treat moderate to severe cases of IBD that are not responding to other medications. The commonly prescribed Biologic medications include infliximab, adalimumab, vedolizumab, and ustekinumab.
- Antibiotics: Metronidazole and ciprofloxacin. These may be used to treat bacterial infections or complications of IBD.
- Antidiarrheal medicines: Medications such as loperamide (Imodium) may be used to control diarrhoea due to IBD.
- Pain relievers: Paracetamol/acetaminophen may be used to relieve pain and fever due to IBD.
These medicines can be procured by ordering online through medicine delivery apps. The medicine online purchase ensures a hassle-free and timely delivery to your doorstep. If you order from online medicine apps like Truemeds that offer generic substitutes, you can save a lot on your IBD medicines expenses.
Takeaway
If you have chronic stomach cramps, bloody diarrhoea, exhaustion, and unexplained weight loss, you may have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This condition cannot be cured, but it can be effectively controlled with medicines, dietary modifications, and lifestyle changes. If you experience nutritional deficiencies due to IBD, include supplements such as folic acid, magnesium, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, and vitamin A. You can easily get these supplements through tablets or syrups from online medicine apps.
