Our mission is to improve the quality of life for BIPOC who are affected by IBD, Digestive Disorders and associated Chronic Illnesses; through Community, Research, Education, and Advocacy.

What is IBD?

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term used to describe disorders that involve chronic inflammation of your digestive tract.

Types of IBD include:

Ulcerative colitis

This condition involves inflammation and sores (ulcers) along the superficial lining of your large intestine (colon) and rectum.

Crohn's disease

This type of IBD is characterized by inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract, which often can involve the deeper layers of the digestive tract.

Both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease usually are characterized by diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, fatigue and weight loss. IBD can be debilitating and sometimes leads to life-threatening complications.

Symptoms

Inflammatory bowel disease symptoms vary, depending on the severity of inflammation and where it occurs. Symptoms may range from mild to severe. You are likely to have periods of active illness followed by periods of remission.

Signs and symptoms that are common to both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis include:

  • Diarrhea
  • Fatigue
  • Abdominal pain and cramping
  • Blood in your stool
  • Reduced appetite
  • Unintended weight loss

When to see a doctor

See your doctor if you experience a persistent change in your bowel habits or if you have any of the signs and symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease.

Although inflammatory bowel disease usually isn’t fatal, it’s a serious disease that, in some cases, may cause life-threatening complications.

Causes

The exact cause of inflammatory bowel disease remains unknown. Previously, diet and stress were suspected, but now doctors know that these factors may aggravate but aren’t the cause of IBD.

One possible cause is an immune system malfunction. When your immune system tries to fight off an invading virus or bacterium, an abnormal immune response causes the immune system to attack the cells in the digestive tract, too. Heredity also seems to play a role in that IBD is more common in people who have family members with the disease. However, most people with IBD don’t have this family history.

Risk Factors

Age

Most people who develop IBD are diagnosed before they're 30 years old. But some people don't develop the disease until their 50s or 60s.

Race or ethnicity

Although whites have the highest risk of the disease, it can occur in any race.

Family history

You're at higher risk if you have a close relative — such as a parent, sibling or child — with the disease.

Cigarette smoking

Cigarette smoking is the most important controllable risk factor for developing Crohn's disease.

Smoking may help prevent ulcerative colitis. However, its harm to overall health outweighs any benefit, and quitting smoking can improve the general health of your digestive tract, as well as provide many other health benefits.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications

These include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), naproxen sodium (Aleve), diclofenac sodium and others. These medications may increase the risk of developing IBD or worsen the disease in people who have IBD.

Complications

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease have some complications in common and others that are specific to each condition.
Complications found in both conditions may include:

Colon cancer

Having ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease that affects most of your colon can increase your risk of colon cancer. Screening for cancer begins usually about eight to 10 years after the diagnosis is made. Ask your doctor when and how frequently you need to have this test done.

Skin, eye and joint inflammation

Certain disorders, including arthritis, skin lesions and eye inflammation (uveitis), may occur during IBD flare-ups.

Medication side effects

Certain medications for IBD are associated with a small risk of developing certain cancers. Corticosteroids can be associated with a risk of osteoporosis, high blood pressure and other conditions.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis

In this condition, inflammation causes scarring within the bile ducts, eventually making them narrow and gradually causing liver damage.

Blood clots

IBD increases the risk of blood clots in veins and arteries.

Complications of Crohn's disease may include:

Bowel obstruction

Crohn's disease affects the full thickness of the intestinal wall. Over time, parts of the bowel can thicken and narrow, which may block the flow of digestive contents. You may require surgery to remove the diseased portion of your bowel.

Malnutrition

Diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping may make it difficult for you to eat or for your intestine to absorb enough nutrients to keep you nourished. It's also common to develop anemia due to low iron or vitamin B-12 caused by the disease.

Fistulas

Sometimes inflammation can extend completely through the intestinal wall, creating a fistula — an abnormal connection between different body parts. Fistulas near or around the anal area (perianal) are the most common kind. In some cases, a fistula may become infected and form an abscess.

Anal fissure

This is a small tear in the tissue that lines the anus or in the skin around the anus where infections can occur. It's often associated with painful bowel movements and may lead to a perianal fistula.

What are Digestive Diseases?

The digestive system made up of the gastrointestinal tract (GI), liver, pancreas, and gallbladder helps the body digest food. Digestion is important for breaking down food into nutrients, which your body uses for energy, growth, and cell repair.

Some digestive diseases and conditions are acute, lasting only a short time, while others are chronic, or long-lasting.

LEARN MORE

Celiac Disease

Celiac disease afflicts millions of Americans, most of whom are undiagnosed, and is second only to end-stage renal disease in perceived burden by patients and caregivers.

Celiac disease and Crohn’s disease are both diseases that deal with inflammation of the intestines. Studies debate the extent of the connection between Crohn’s disease and celiac disease, but all conclude that Crohn’s is more common in those with celiac disease than in the general population.

COGI is committed to working with its colleagues in the celiac disease community to advocate for increased federal funding for celiac disease research with an emphasis on the connection between Crohn’s disease and celiac disease, labeling standards for gluten free foods, widespread patient and provider education in celiac disease access to mainstream gluten-free products, improved diagnostic tools, and accelerated development of therapeutic treatments and a cure for celiac disease.

What is Chronic Illness?

Chronic diseases are defined broadly as conditions that last 1 year or more and require ongoing medical attention or limit activities of daily living or both. Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. They are also leading drivers of the nation’s $3.8 trillion in annual health care costs.

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