For many people with Crohn’s disease, or those who have had part of their small bowel removed, chronic watery diarrhoea can persist even when scans and blood tests look reassuring. It is frustrating to be told inflammation is under control while symptoms continue regardless. In a proportion of these cases, the cause is not ongoing […]
Many people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) know the frustration of ongoing bloating, wind, or loose stools even when blood tests and scans suggest their disease is quiet. One possible explanation, often overlooked, is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a condition that can mimic or overlap with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and add an […]
For most people newly diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), giving up smoking is presented as straightforwardly good advice. But patients who smoke, or who have recently stopped, are often surprised to learn that the link between smoking and gut inflammation is not the same for everyone. In Crohn’s disease, smoking is one of the […]
For many people living with Crohn’s disease, a bad flare and a bowel obstruction can feel similar at first: cramping, bloating, and a sense that something is wrong. Telling the difference matters, because a true obstruction can become an emergency within hours, while a flare usually develops more gradually and responds to different treatment. What […]
Distinguishing between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can be challenging, especially when symptoms overlap. Both affect the gut and cause abdominal pain, bloating, and bowel habit changes. Yet they differ fundamentally in cause, mechanism, and treatment. One key difference lies in the gut microbiome, the trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms […]
When a flare strikes, it can feel like the gut has turned against you. Alongside this, many people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) notice changes in their bowel habits and digestive comfort. What is harder to see is the microscopic shift happening simultaneously: changes in the trillions of bacteria that live in the gut. Whether […]
If you have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), you may have wondered whether your children, siblings, or other relatives are at higher risk. Genetics play a meaningful role in IBD, but inheritance is neither simple nor inevitable. Understanding how hereditary risk works can help you make sense of your own diagnosis and what it may mean […]
For many people living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, inflammation can feel unpredictable and relentless. The gut lining becomes a battleground where the immune system, meant to protect, instead drives damage. Understanding why requires examining the autoimmune dimension of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), where the distinction between self and threat becomes blurred. What does […]
When you’re first diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), one of the first questions is whether it can be cured. The short answer is no – there is currently no cure for Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the goal of modern treatment is to achieve remission, a state in which inflammation is controlled […]
If you live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, you have probably experienced the frustration of a flare that seemed to appear without warning. Understanding what might provoke increased symptoms, and learning how to track your own patterns, can help you make more informed decisions and communicate more effectively with your clinical team. What is […]
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