Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Specialist

What is inflammatory bowel disease?

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes disorders that are characterized by chronic inflammation of your digestive tract. The two main types of IBD are ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

What is the difference between ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease?

Ulcerative colitis involves the chronic inflammation of the lining of your large intestine and rectum. You can also develop ulcers, or sores, in the lining.

Crohn’s disease involves the chronic inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract and can spread deep into the tissues of your intestines. It usually affects the last part of the small intestine, called the ileum, as well as the large intestine, but can sometimes affect the whole gastrointestinal tract.

What are the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease?

Inflammatory bowel disease symptoms commonly include:

• Fever
• Bloody stool
• Abdominal pain
• Chronic fatigue
• Persistent diarrhea
• Unexplained weight loss

When changes in your bowel movements or severe abdominal pain interfere with your life, you should schedule an evaluation with Dr. Rayapudi as soon as possible. Having IBD can lead to additional health complications, including an increased risk for colon cancer, liver damage, and blood clots.

How is inflammatory bowel disease diagnosed?

If Dr. Rayapudi determines that your symptoms are the result of inflammatory bowel disease, he may perform blood tests to identify signs of infection or low iron levels. He may also request stool sample testing, a colonoscopy, or endoscopy to identify possible causes of your symptoms or confirm a diagnosis of IBD.

What treatments are available for inflammatory bowel disease?

Dr. Rayapudi creates a custom treatment plan to address your specific symptoms and alleviate inflammation in your digestive tract. He may initially recommend anti-inflammatory medications to increase your comfort or antibiotics to treat any infections.

You may need nutrition counseling to help you make dietary changes that ensure your body gets adequate nutrients. A special diet may be necessary to improve your overall nutrition. In some cases, an intravenous (IV) feeding tube may help your bowel get the rest it needs to heal and function properly.

For severe cases of ulcerative colitis, Dr. Rayapudi may recommend surgery to remove affected areas of your colon or rectum.

Surgery may also help with Crohn’s disease symptoms. Dr. Rayapudi may need to remove parts of your digestive tract and reconnect them to the healthy sections to provide relief.

If you’re suffering from inflammatory bowel disease, call the office or schedule an appointment online.