Q. What is inflammatory bowel disease?

A. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the collective term for diseases that cause chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and can result in damage to the digestive system. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are two subtypes. They have similar symptoms – fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain and weight loss – and can be difficult to tell apart, requiring a variety of tests, including examining the intestinal tract with a tiny camera, or endoscope.

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