New Online Resources for Those Living With IBD

New Online Resources for Those Living With IBD

Canada has among the highest rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the world. Today, approximately 270,000 (0.7 percent, or seven in 1,000) Canadians live with IBD. By 2030, that number is expected to rise to 403,000.

IBD primarily consists of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, both causing chronic inflammation and damage to the gastrointestinal tract. The GI (gastrointestinal) tract is responsible for the digestion of food, absorption of nutrients, and elimination of waste; inflammation impairs the ability of the affected GI organs to function properly. These chronic diseases are similar, but distinct in two ways: the area of the digestive tract involved and the extent of the inflammation. In Crohn’s disease, inflammation can affect any part of the digestive tract, whereas, in ulcerative colitis, it affects just the inner lining of the colon. These chronic, life-long conditions can be treated but not cured.

Common symptoms are persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding/bloody stools, weight loss, and fatigue.

It can also include extraintestinal manifestations such as arthritis or inflamed eyes. Treatment focuses on addressing the underlying inflammation, which improves symptoms.

Want to learn more about IBD? The GI Society has made a series of educational videos about living with IBD on a variety of topics, including basic information, medications, diet and nutrition, sexuality, and mucosal healing. Also available is a toolset for managing flares, including a new video called Inflammatory Bowel Disease – What to do when you have a flare, and unique Action Plans for individuals with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis to fill out with their gastroenterologist to set a plan in place for managing symptoms. On May 19, World IBD Day, the Gastrointestinal Society hosted a webinar with an in-depth question and answer period. You can watch the videos mentioned above, including a recording of the webinar, at badgut.org/livingwithibd.

There are countless other resources for those living with IBD, including articles, infographics, IBD Kitchen—a cookbook, patient stories, and plenty of information on nutrition, medications, healthcare issues, and much more, available on their website.

ABOUT THE GI SOCIETY As the Canadian leader in providing trusted, evidence-based information on all areas of the gastrointestinal tract, the GI Society is committed to improving the lives of people with GI and liver conditions, supporting research, advocating for appropriate patient access to healthcare, and promoting gastrointestinal and liver health. The GI Society is a national registered charity formed in 2008 on the groundwork of its partner registered charity, the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research (CSIR), which was founded in Vancouver in 1976.

All its programs and services focus on providing Canadians with trusted, commercial-free, medically sound information on gut and liver diseases and disorders in both official languages. The GI Society also works closely with healthcare professionals and governments at all levels toward system-wide improvements in care and treatment.

To learn more about IBD, and view all the content mentioned in this article, visit badgut.org/livingwithibd