Early Diagnosis Key as Inflammatory Bowel Disease Cases Rise Among Young Adults: Meenakshi Super Speciality Hospital

There's a steady rise in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), a chronic immune-mediated inflammation of the intestine, in India, particularly among young adults, warned experts from Meenakshi Super Speciality Hospital.

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They stressed the importance of early recognition, timely specialist care, and access to advanced therapies, while urging the public not to ignore persistent bowel symptoms and to seek early medical evaluation.

IBD mainly includes two major conditions: ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Unlike temporary digestive illnesses, food intolerance, or irritable bowel syndrome, these diseases cause persistent inflammation in the digestive tract and can lead to ulcers, bleeding, weight loss, anaemia, intestinal narrowing, fistulae, and abscesses.

These chronic intestinal disorders commonly present with symptoms such as persistent diarrhoea, abdominal pain, blood in stools, weight loss, loss of appetite, fatigue, fever, and recurrent intestinal complaints. Some patients may additionally develop joint pain, skin lesions, eye inflammation, or liver-related disorders. Since these symptoms are frequently mistaken for common infections, piles, irritable bowel syndrome, or intestinal tuberculosis, diagnosis is often delayed for months or even years, the experts pointed out.