What Are the Symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)?The World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO) indicates the following are general symptoms of IBD that may be associated with inflammatory bowel disease1,2:
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Night sweats
- Growth retardation
- Primary amenorrhea
The World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO) also indicates the following symptoms may be associated with inflammatory damage in the digestive tract:
1. Diarrhea:
- mucus or blood may be present in the stool
- can occur at night
- incontinence may occur
2. Constipation:
- may be the primary symptom in ulcerative colitis limited to the rectum (proctitis)
- bowel obstruction may occur
3. Bowel movements:
- pain or rectal bleeding may be present
- severe urgency and tenesmus may be present
4. Abdominal cramping and pain:
- commonly present in the right lower quadrant in Crohn Disease
- commonly periumbilical or in the left lower quadrant in moderate to severe ulcerative colitis
5. Nausea and vomiting may occur:
- more often in Crohn disease than in ulcerative colitis
In both disease entities, the active stage is commonly associated with systemic symptoms such as fever, malaise, sweating, and arthralgias (joint pains). Basically, individuals with active intestinal inflammation feel sick all over.