Quick answer. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of lifelong conditions in which the digestive system becomes inflamed. The two main types are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. IBD is a relapsing-remitting condition: symptoms come in flare-ups when the disease is active and settle in periods of remission. It is not the same as IBS, and it is not caused by diet or stress alone. Although it cannot always be cured, treatments help most people gain good control and live full lives. A multidisciplinary team looks after you, and Singapore has dedicated IBD services and patient support. A severe flare can be a medical emergency.
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What IBD is
Inflammatory bowel disease is an umbrella term for a group of long-term conditions in which the digestive system becomes inflamed. The two main types are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which differ in where and how they affect the gut, as a separate guide in this series explains. The inflammation happens because the immune system attacks the bowel, and while the exact cause is not fully understood, it involves a mix of genetic and environmental factors. Understanding IBD as an immune-driven inflammation of the gut, rather than something you did or ate, is an important and often reassuring starting point after a diagnosis.
Flares and remission
IBD is a relapsing-remitting condition, which means it follows a pattern of flare-ups and remission. During a flare, the disease is active and symptoms – such as diarrhoea, urgency, abdominal pain, blood in the stools and fatigue – are worse. In remission, symptoms are few or absent and life feels more normal. A flare can last from a few days to several months, and its timing is unpredictable, which is one of the harder aspects of living with IBD. Much of managing the condition is about treating flares when they happen and, importantly, keeping the disease in remission for as long as possible.
IBD is not IBS
A common source of confusion is the difference between IBD and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). They are not the same. IBS is a functional disorder, meaning the bowel does not work as it should but there is no visible inflammation or tissue damage. IBD, by contrast, causes measurable inflammation and damage to the bowel. This distinction matters because the two are managed very differently. Doctors use tests, including a stool test called faecal calprotectin, to help tell them apart. If you have been diagnosed with IBD, it is a genuinely different condition from IBS, requiring its own specialist care.
What causes it
It is natural to wonder what caused your IBD, and an important message is that it is not caused by diet or stress alone. IBD develops when the immune system attacks the bowel, and this involves a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors; it can run in families, and factors such as smoking are recognised as relevant. While food and stress can affect your symptoms, they did not cause the condition, and there is no reason to blame yourself or a particular food. Understanding this helps you focus your energy on managing the condition well, rather than on unproductive guilt about its cause.
Good control is achievable
A diagnosis of IBD can be daunting, but the outlook for most people is encouraging. There are effective treatments that help control symptoms and maintain remission, and most people with IBD go on to live full lives – working, studying, travelling and raising families. Ulcerative colitis can sometimes be treated with surgery that removes the affected bowel, while Crohn’s disease cannot currently be cured but can usually be well managed. The realistic and hopeful goal for most people is long, stable periods of remission with the condition kept quiet, so that IBD interferes as little as possible with daily life.
Your care team
IBD is looked after by a multidisciplinary team, reflecting how many aspects of health it can affect. This typically includes a gastroenterologist leading medical care, a colorectal surgeon where surgery is relevant, an IBD or specialist nurse who is often your main point of contact, and a dietitian, pharmacist, and radiology and pathology specialists for tests. In Singapore, dedicated IBD services exist at hospitals including the Singapore General Hospital’s Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centre, the National University Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital, each with IBD nurses. Knowing who is on your team, and how to reach your IBD nurse, helps you get timely support.
Support in Singapore
You do not have to navigate IBD alone. In Singapore, the Crohn’s and Colitis Society of Singapore is a patient support organisation that runs support-group meetings and educational talks for people with IBD and their families, working alongside gastroenterologists. The dedicated IBD services at the public hospitals provide specialist medical care and nurse support. These organisations are named here for your reference; connecting with them can bring practical information, and the reassurance of others who understand what living with an unpredictable bowel condition is like, which many people find valuable alongside their medical care.
When a flare is an emergency
While much of IBD is managed through routine care and your IBD team, a severe flare can be a medical emergency. Seek urgent care – call 995 or go to A&E – if you have severe or worsening abdominal pain, a high fever, significant or persistent rectal bleeding, are vomiting repeatedly or cannot keep fluids down, or have signs of dehydration such as dizziness and passing very little urine. A rapidly swollen, very tender abdomen also needs urgent assessment. Do not try to ride out a severe flare at home. For everyday flares and questions, contact your IBD team, who can advise and adjust your treatment.
Related IBD topics
- Understanding Crohn’s & ulcerative colitis
- Managing flares & staying in remission
- IBD medication & treatment
- Diet & nutrition with IBD
- Fatigue, anaemia & IBD
- IBD surgery: what to expect
- Mental health & emotional wellbeing
- Pregnancy, fertility & IBD
- Living well: work, travel & daily life
- Crohn’s disease: an overview
- Ulcerative colitis: an overview
- Gastroenterologists in Singapore
Sources
- NHS – Inflammatory bowel disease: nhs.uk
- Crohn’s and Colitis UK – Information about Crohn’s and Colitis: crohnsandcolitis.org.uk
- NHS – Crohn’s disease: nhs.uk
- NHS – Ulcerative colitis: nhs.uk