IBD PROFILE (3 PARA)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disorder that affects about a million people in the United States. Periods of active disease may alternate with periods of remission. During a flare-up, a patient may experience frequent bouts of watery and/or bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, and fever. Between these flare-ups, symptoms frequently diminish. The cause of IBD is unknown, but these diseases are thought to be due to an autoimmune process that has been triggered by a genetic predisposition, a viral illness, and/or an environmental factor.