Posts In: Patients & Families

Blood tests There are several blood tests which are used to help support a diagnosis of IBD or to monitor the effects of IBD or its treatment. Blood samples are usually taken from a vein in the arm, using a needle attached to a syringe or to a collecting container.

Colonoscopy WHAT IS COLONOSCOPY? A colonoscopy procedure enables your physician to examine the lining of the colon (large bowel) and the last part of the small intestine (terminal ileum) for abnormalities and inflammation. Colonoscopies are often used to diagnose and to assess the extent and severity of CD and UC.

How is IBD Diagnosed? There are many tests doctors use to diagnose IBD. Refer to the sections below to read more about each of them. Blood tests Stool tests Colonoscopy…

Stool tests STOOL TESTS FOR INFECTION Fresh stool samples can be examined to check whether flare-ups of IBD-like symptoms have been caused by infections. For a stool test, you will need to collect a sample (about the size of a walnut) of your feces in a clean, dry screw-top…

What happens when we eat food? To understand the effect that food has on the gastrointestinal (digestive) system, it can be helpful to know the main features of the system and what happens when we eat. The gastrointestinal tract (gut) is like a long tube running…

Can food cause IBD? As IBD affects the digestive system, many people naturally wonder if there is a possible link between diet and IBD. A considerable amount of research has been undertaken to look for a connection, and scientists have investigated a wide range of food and nutrients…

Can food cure IBD? While you may come across a number of diets claiming to cure IBD, The majority of these do not have sufficient evidence to support their claims. But there is considerable evidence that specific aspects of nutrition are important in IBD, and that, as with…

Common symptoms and dietary alterations This section looks at some of the more common symptoms of IBD and how altering your diet may help you manage or reduce them. DIARRHEA Diarrhea is one of the main symptoms of IBD. If you have a lot of diarrhoea and…

Eating after surgery Surgery should not make a major difference to what you eat – but there are some points to bear in mind, depending on the type of surgery involved. REMOVAL OF THE ILEUM The ileum is the last part of the small intestine, before it…

Eating with a stricture If you have CD, you may develop strictures (narrowings) in your small intestine. If you have a stricture, you may need to modify your diet to try and avoid having a blockage in the narrowing. Small frequent meals and snacks instead of large meals,…