Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) handbook

IBD is a chronic, inflammatory, idiopathic, auto-immune condition affecting the gastrointestinal system. 

• Chronic: life-long disease with alternating periods of remission and relapse (flares)
• Inflammatory: GIT becomes inflamed which affects their normal function
• Idiopathic: unknown cause and arises spontaneously
• Auto-immune:  the body’s immune system attacks its own healthy tissues by mistake.

There are two main types of IBD, Crohn's Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC).

The exact causes of IBD are unknown. It is thought to be a combination of environmental, immune system and genetic factors.

There is currently no cure, however, with effective treatment, many children with IBD can remain free of symptoms for long periods of time.

IBD is sometimes confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) because some of the symptoms overlap. However, they are not the same disease, and they are treated very differently.

Key features of IBD

• IBD tends to run in families
• IBD is more common in some populations, such as Jewish people
• Bacteria, genes and the immediate immune response in the bowel wall are all important factors in the development of IBD
• Both Crohn's disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) can occur in children, while Crohn's is more common
• The common age for IBD to begin is during adolescence
• UC and CD are becoming increasingly frequent in Australians
• IBD is cannot be transmitted from person to person