Diagnosing Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Reasons to Stay Optimistic

Getting a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be overwhelming. When you have IBD, it means you either have ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn’s disease, both of which are autoimmune diseases that cause chronic inflammation in the digestive tract.

But there are reasons to be optimistic, despite your IBD diagnosis. It can be  worse to be uncertain about what’s going on with your symptoms. And once you do, you and your provider can come up with a treatment plan.

“That’s the most important thing, because all we want is to be able to know what’s happening so that we can make you feel well,” says Zöe Gottlieb, MD, Gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “And if we don’t have that information, we really can’t treat you effectively.”

Avoiding treatment for IBD can be dangerous, causing chronic inflammation, bleeding, and ulcers inside the colon. It can increase your long-term risk for colon cancer, too.

Finding the right treatment plan, on the other hand, may make you feel better and help avoid complications.

“I want you to feel comfortable going on a long car trip or going on the subway,” says Dr. Gottlieb. “I want you to be able to sleep through the night without having to think that you’re going to wake up [in the middle of the night to use the bathroom several times].”

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Marisa Taylor Karas

Marisa Taylor Karas is a freelance journalist based in Brooklyn who has covered health, gender, and technology for 15 years. She previously worked at The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera America, among other publications, and also served as managing editor of the Mellon Foundation in New York City.

Reviewed by:

Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP

Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP, is a board-certified pediatrician. Prior to practicing medicine, she worked as a management consultant.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts