What is inflammatory bowel disease?
Inflammatory bowel disease (commonly called IBD) is a term mainly used to
describe two conditions:
Ulcerative colitis
Crohn’s disease
Both of these are chronic (long-term and ongoing)
conditions that involve inflammation
(swelling and redness) of the gut.

People of any age can develop IBD, but it is usually diagnosed between the
ages of 15 and 40. It is unclear what causes the condition but a number of
different things are thought to be involved, including genetics (e.g. if you have
a close relative with the condition) and a problem with your immune system.

IBD affects more than 300,000 people in the UK.

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