Living With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

From a bio-medical perspective, IBD is the name given to a group of inflammatory conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract. There are two major types: Crohn's Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). CD can affect anywhere from the mouth to the anus and UC is confined to the colon and rectum. While the etiology of IBD is unknown, with only numerous conjectures made about possible causes, a range of epidemiological information is available. IBD in the UK has a similar incidence rate to other northern European countries, with the highest incidence rates and prevalence [being] reported from northern Europe, the UK, and North America.