Inflammatory Bowel Disease, or IBD, is not a single disease but rather refers to two related but distinct diseases, Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis
Both types of IBD involve chronic inflammation of all or part of the digestive tract and both can cause a lot of different symptoms ranging from fatigue and crampiness, to severe diarrhea and rectal (rear-end) bleeding.
These symptoms can be difficult to deal with physically but also often lead to a lot of uncomfortable emotions such as shame and embarrassment. It’s really important to address both the physical and the emotional when learning to manage IBD.
