Digestive Health Inflammatory Bowel Disease Diagnosis Inflammatory Bowel Disease Guide Inflammatory Bowel Disease Guide Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Nutrition Symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and indeterminate colitis By Amber J. Tresca facebook twitter linkedin Amber J. Tresca is a freelance writer and speaker who covers digestive conditions, including IBD. She was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at age 16. Learn about our editorial process Amber J. Tresca Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH on October 13, 2020 linkedin Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH, is board-certified in gastroentrology. He is the vice chair for ambulatory services for the department of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. Learn about our Medical Review Board Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH on October 13, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Frequent Symptoms Rare Symptoms Complications When to See a Doctor Next in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Guide Causes and Risk Factors of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) involves ongoing inflammation of all or part of your digestive tract. IBD is an umbrella term for three conditions—Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and indeterminate colitis (IC)—with the most prevalent symptoms of blood and mucus in the stool, abdominal pain, unintentional weight loss, and diarrhea. Many other symptoms may be present as well, and the pain may be in different locations depending on the disease. Your specific set of symptoms can help your doctor determine whether you have IBD and, if so, which type. Frequent Symptoms Verywell / Brooke Pelczynski IBD is a painful condition and some of its symptoms can be worrisome. While there's a fair amount of overlap between the different types of IBD, each of the IBDs has its own potential set of symptoms. IBD Symptoms by Disease Symptoms CD UC IC Abdominal pain X X X Cramping X X X Bloating X X Flatulence X X Nausea X X Diarrhea X X X Bloody stools X X X Stomach pain X Poor appetite X X X Unintended weight loss X X X Mouth sores X Anal itch X Fistulas X Fissures X X Abscesses X Fecal incontinence X Intestinal ulcers X X Urgent bowel movements X X Mucus in the stool X X Rectal pain X Rectal bleeding X X X Feeling of incomplete evacuation X Rectal Bleeding Bleeding from the rectum, or seeing blood in the stool, is never a normal occurrence, and it is a symptom of IBD. Blood in the stool is a common symptom of UC and IC. (It's less frequent in Crohn's disease.) There are times, however, when it can be of serious concern. Signs and Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis Mucus in the Stool Passing mucus in the stool is not always a cause for alarm. Mucus is actually a normal part of stool, but it usually isn't visible to the naked eye. If there's enough mucus in the stool that you're aware of it, there could be several reasons why. People with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease do sometimes pass visible amounts of mucus in their stool, either as a result of ulcers in the colon or possibly from the formation of a fissure. People who have had surgery for ulcerative colitis and have a j-pouch (ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, or IPAA) may also pass mucus, which could be a sign of a condition called pouchitis. Signs and Symptoms of Crohn's Disease Abdominal Pain Abdominal pain (what most generally call stomach pain) can be a tricky problem to diagnose because it can be a symptom of many different diseases. People with ulcerative colitis tend to have cramp-like pain that is located in the lower-left portion of the abdomen, and people with Crohn's disease tend to have pain in the middle or lower-right abdomen (although pain could show up in other parts of the abdomen, too). Not everyone with IBD has pain, and the pain may come and go, sometimes occurring after a meal or being relieved by having a bowel movement. Persistent Diarrhea Diarrhea has many causes, and most healthy adults have diarrhea a few times a year. Often, diarrhea resolves on its own, and the cause may go undiscovered. However, persistent diarrhea—lasting more than three days—can be the sign of a problem that might need treatment. People with IBD often have episodes of what's called "explosive" diarrhea several times a day. This could be anywhere from three up to 10 or even 20 watery bowel movements daily. Unintended Weight Loss Losing weight without restricting calories or exercising could be a sign that something is going wrong in the body. Diarrhea and lack of appetite can result in unintended weight loss simply from not taking in enough calories during the day. Gaining weight while in remission from IBD might become a priority, but it should be done in a healthful way. What You Need to Know About Indeterminate Colitis Rare Symptoms In rare cases, some people with IBD may also present with: Fevers Fatigue Joint pain Skin rashes Increased menstrual symptoms Flare-ups of IBD symptoms before or during a menstrual period Your medical team should be able to help you manage these symptoms. Complications IBD is hard on your intestines and various systems in your body. Over time, and especially if treatment is delayed or inadequate, some people develop serious complications. Potential complications of IBD include: Bowel obstruction Bowel perforation Intestinal abscesses Intestinal fistulas Intestinal fissures Toxic megacolon Colorectal cancer Some complications that may strike outside of the digestive system include: Delayed growth (in children) Eye disease Arthritis (especially seronegative spondyloarthropathy) Osteoporosis Increased risk of gallstones Neurological symptoms, which can be severe Anemia Blood and circulatory problems Mouth ulcers Difficulty getting pregnant When to See a Doctor If you're experiencing ongoing or severe digestive symptoms, you should see your primary care physician. Due to the difficulties involved in the diagnosis, you may be referred to a gastroenterologist. Significant abdominal pain could mean many things and should be checked out by a physician as soon as possible. Don't assume this is due to IBD if it's accompanied by vomiting, nausea, and fever. These are potential symptoms of a bowel obstruction, which requires immediate medical care. Any blood in the stool should always be checked out by a doctor right away. The blood loss of UC and IC can be significant. If it continues or is accompanied by diarrhea, pain, or vomiting, see a doctor immediately. If the mucus in stool is accompanied by abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea, see a doctor right away to get it checked out. Suddenly losing weight unexpectedly is a reason to talk to a doctor, especially if there is also ongoing diarrhea, vomiting, or a lack of appetite. If diarrhea doesn't resolve on its own and is also accompanied by abdominal pain, blood in the stool, weight loss, fever, or other symptoms, see a physician as soon as possible. If abdominal pain is severe or rectal bleeding is substantial, you may have a serious condition that needs emergency medical treatment. When to Call 911 If you experience any sudden or dramatic changes in your condition or the following symptoms, go to the emergency room or call 911: Severe abdominal pain that lasts for more than one hour Significant or new rectal bleeding Persistent vomiting, accompanied by a stoppage of bowel movements Drastic changes in bowel movements without any passing of gas High temperature, especially if taking corticosteroids or other medications that might be affecting your immune system A Word From Verywell IBD symptoms can be scary and a proper diagnosis can take some time. That may be frustrating, but each IBD requires different treatments, so it's important to work with your doctor to figure out exactly what's going on in your digestive system and get started with the right course for you. Doing so can help minimize the effect of the disease on your daily life. Causes and Risk Factors of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! We're providing tips on how to take better care of your gut. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. The Facts About Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. November 2014. Klingberg E, Strid H, Ståhl A, et al. A longitudinal study of fecal calprotectin and the development of inflammatory bowel disease in ankylosing spondylitis. Arthritis Res Ther. 2017;19(1):21. doi:10.1186/s13075-017-1223-2 Schiller LR. Evaluation of chronic diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea in adults in the era of precision medicine. Am J Gastroenterol. 2018;113(5):660-669. doi:10.1038/s41395-018-0032-9 Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. Malnutrition and IBD. Crohn's and Colitis Canada. Living with Crohn's & Colitis. Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. Fact Sheet: News from the IBD Help Center: Intestinal Complications. January 2015. Lewis SL, Bucher LB, Heitkemper MM, Harding MM, Kwong J, Roberts D. Medical-Surgical Nursing: Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2016. Additional Reading Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.C What Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease? Updated March 22, 2018. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Office on Women's Health. Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Updated April 01, 2019..