Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects the inside of your gastrointestinal tract, causing inflammation, pain, and ulceration. If you suffer from IBD symptoms, visit one of Newtown Gastroenterology’s offices in New York City for an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. Offices are located at Elmhurst and Flushing in Queens, Sunset Park in Brooklyn, and Chinatown in Manhattan, where board-certified gastroenterologists offer ongoing care for IBD patients. Call your nearest office today or schedule a consultation online to benefit from expert IBD care.
IBD is a term for disorders involving long-term (chronic) inflammation of the digestive tract tissues. These conditions develop when your immune system malfunctions and attacks healthy tissues as it would a harmful microorganism. Types of IBD include:
Ulcerative colitis
This condition causes inflammation and ulcers (painful sores) in the large intestine (colon) and rectum lining.
Crohn’s disease
This form of IBD also causes inflammation. It’s most common in the small intestine but could affect your large intestine and, less commonly, the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract (esophagus, stomach, and duodenum). Crohn’s disease can also penetrate the deeper digestive tract layers.
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease both cause symptoms such as:
• Diarrhea
• Rectal bleeding
• Abdominal pain
• Chronic fatigue
• Weight loss
Ulcerative colitis will likely result in rectal pain, passing pus and mucus, tenesmus (the uncontrollable urge to push even when the bowels are empty), and fecal incontinence.
Crohn’s disease can cause problems like fissures (cracks in the gut lining) and fistulas — unnatural openings between one area of your internal anatomy and another. Infections are also common.
For some people, IBD causes relatively mild symptoms. For others, it’s a debilitating disorder that can cause life-threatening complications.
It’s vital to visit Newtown Gastroenterology if you develop any IBD symptoms. They’re similar to those of colorectal cancer, so don’t delay in seeking a diagnosis. After listening to your symptoms and checking your medical history, your provider will likely order a colonoscopy.
A colonoscope is a long tube with a camera and light on one end. It’s flexible enough to pass right along your colon to the small intestine. Your provider can see inflamed areas or abnormalities like fistulas and take biopsies (tiny tissue samples) for lab analysis.
If you have upper GI tract symptoms, you might need an upper endoscopy, where your provider uses a similar instrument called an endoscope to examine your esophagus and stomach. Capsule endoscopy involves swallowing a pill-sized camera that travels along the entire GI tract.
Newtown Gastroenterology follows the most up-to-date guidelines to manage IBD. Treatment typically begins with anti-inflammatory medications like mesalamine or steroids if the initial treatment doesn’t work. You might need immunosuppressants or biological drugs for severe symptoms.
Call Newtown Gastroenterology or book an appointment online today for expert help with IBD.
