What is IBD?

What is IBD?

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a term used to describe a group of conditions that cause chronic inflammation of the gut. IBD is further broken down into two primary conditions: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Symptoms can appear and disappear unpredictably, with disease ‘flares’ potentially occurring months or years apart. Due to the intermittent nature of flares and the similarity in symptoms with other conditions (e.g., Irritable Bowel Syndrome also known as IBS), IBD can sometimes go undiagnosed and untreated for years.

Who gets IBD?

Each year, for every 100,000 people, around 30 will receive a diagnosis of IBD. The condition affects males and females equally. You can be diagnosed with IBD at any age, although the disease is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 15-35. Australia has one of the highest rates of IBD in the world. Currently, 1 in 250 Australians between the ages 5 – 49 are living with IBD, and it is estimated that by 2022 that the total number of people with IBD will reach 100,000.