Understanding Ulcerative Colitis and Crohns Disease (IBD).

Following the trauma of acute appendicitis, I developed Ulcerative Colitis. This condition has impacted on my life in many ways, and has caused me to take multiple medications and be hospitalised numerous times. As a young keen 'fitness freak', I will not allow this disease to control my life any further. After a long awaited decision by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to allow this new medication for ulcerative colitis patients, I have been granted ‘Infliximab’ which is currently controlling my aggressive symptoms which is great news.

So what is IBD?

When reading about inflammatory bowel diseases, it is important to know that Crohn’s disease is not the same thing as ulcerative colitis, another type of IBD. The symptoms of these two illnesses are quite similar, but the areas affected in the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) are different.

Crohn’s most commonly affects the end of the small bowel (the ileum) and the beginning of the colon, but it may affect any part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, from the mouth to the anus. Ulcerative colitis is limited to the colon, also called the large intestine. Both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are long-term (chronic) diseases that involve inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (gut).#Crohns #UlcerativeColitis #IBD

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