IBD is an umbrella term for chronic inflammatory conditions of the digestive tract including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Unlike IBS which is functional IBD involves measurable structural inflammation and tissue damage. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and fever. IBD is considered an autoimmune-microbiome disease: genetic predisposition plus gut microbiome dysbiosis triggers a misdirected immune response against the gut lining.
