Journal of Gastrointestinal & Digestive System
Open Access

The term inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) describes a group of disorders in which the intestines become inflamed. The likeliest cause is an immune reaction the body has against its own intestinal tissue. Two major types of IBD are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. There are other, less common types of IBD called collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis. The inflammation can only be seen using a microscope, and so they’re known as microscopic colitis.

Gastrointestinal inflammation is an immune response in the digestive tract that can cause symptoms like nausea, cramping, and diarrhea. A doctor may use a specific diagnostic term like colitis, referring to inflammation in the bowel, to discuss a patient’s case. IBD is not the same as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which does not cause inflammation or damage in the intestines. It is estimated that as many as 1 million Americans suffer from IBD, and most sufferers begin to feel symptoms between the ages of 15 and 30.

Related Journals of Gastrointestinal Inflammation

Interdisciplinary Journal of Microinflammation, European Journal of Inflammation, Inflammation, Inflammopharmacology, Inflammation Research

Gastrointestinal Inflammation