8 Causes of Inflammation of the Bowel, Beware of Life-threatening

The exact cause of inflammatory bowel disease is still unknown. One possible cause is a malfunction of the immune system. When your immune system tries to fight off an invading virus or bacteria, the abnormal immune response causes the immune system to attack cells in the digestive tract as well.

Genetic or hereditary factors have also been shown to play a role in inflammatory bowel conditions suffered, this is because this condition is more common in people who have family members with the disease. However, in some cases most people with colitis have no family history of the disease.

1. Age: Most people who have inflammatory bowel conditions can be diagnosed before they are 30 years old. But some people don’t have or develop the disease until they are in their 50s or 60s.

2. Race or ethnicity: Although white people have the highest risk of the disease, it can occur in any race.

3. Family History: You are at higher risk if you have a close relative – such as a parent, sibling or child who also has a history of inflammatory bowel disease.

4. Smoking: Smoking is the most important controllable risk factor for Crohn’s disease. Smoking is very harmful to overall health and quitting smoking can improve the general health of the digestive tract.

5. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: These include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), naproxen sodium (Aleve), diclofenac sodium and others. These drugs can increase the risk of developing colitis or make the disease worse in people with appendicitis.

6. Immune system response: The immune system normally fights infections. In people with colitis, the immune system mistakes food for foreign substances. It releases antibodies (proteins) to fight this threat, causing the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease.

7. Environmental triggers: People with a family history of IBD can develop the disease after being exposed to environmental triggers. These triggers include an environment with cigarette smoke, stress, and Depression.

8. Lifestyle: If you are a person who sits a lot, and rarely exercise, then your condition can be categorized as a person with a high risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease. This has been reviewed by researchers who found that people with sedentary lifestyles or jobs can increase the risk of colitis.

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