In some cases, if the inflammation is very bad and does not heal up, it becomes permanently damaged. In such cases, surgery may be needed.

When the intestines are inflamed, it means they do not do their job properly. In IBD, it is the bowel lining that becomes damaged, so it doesn't do its proper job of absorbing nutrients and digesting. When this happens, you get pain and diarrhoea. When the doctor looks at the bowel through an endoscope, they may see redness where the blood vessels are near to the surface. Healthy bowel is pink and shiny, like the skin in your mouth (presuming it's healthy). Inflamed bowel is red due to increased blood flow and there may be bleeding. The mucusa (bowel lining) make look like it's been sprinkled with salt (this effect is called granulation) in mild cases of ulceration. In severe case, the ulcers may be highly visible and extensive.

on September 21 2002 01:00:32 ·