Getting diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease

Everyone with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) should receive an early and accurate diagnosis of their condition. Inflammatory bowel diseases are a group of chronic conditions of the gut affecting about 500,000 people in the UK and include both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.^1-2

Early diagnosis will enable you to get the correct treatment and support you need sooner, which can help manage your condition better. So, ensure to speak to your doctor as soon as possible if you are unwell.²

• If you have blood in your stool (poo), diarrhoea, unexplained weight loss or extreme pain, it is possible you have Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis and you will need to make an appointment with your GP²
• Your GP will ask you about any symptoms you are experiencing and whether you have any family history of gut conditions²

  • It can be difficult for you to speak about your symptoms with the doctor, but communication is key to a successful appointment. Crohn’s and Colitis UK (CCUK) have a helpful appointment guide for some tips around talking to your healthcare professional and getting the most out of your appointment²
• Your GP will then order some tests to rule out conditions with symptoms similar to IBD²
• If your blood and stool tests suggest inflammation, you should be referred to a gastroenterology team in an IBD service. They have expert knowledge of gut conditions and can perform specialised tests to help confirm a diagnosis and can differentiate between the two most common IBDs: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.² Scroll down to find out the specific ways in which ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are diagnosed
• Confirming the diagnosis involves testing for certain ‘markers’ of inflammation in the blood or poo and looking at the gut with a scan or endoscopy. This is often done by an expert of the gut – a gastroenterologist.^2–4
• Once your diagnosis is confirmed, you will then begin to explore treatment options
  Read more here about Finding the right treatment

To determine whether you have Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, your GP may ask about:^2-4

If your GP suspects you have either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis they may:^3,4

Carry out a physical examination
They may examine your abdomen and check for any lumps or tenderness

Order a blood test
A blood test can check if you have inflammation somewhere else in your body

Order a poo (stool) sample
This is to check if you have any inflammatory markers in your poo which may indicate you have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis

If your GP suspects Crohn's disease, they may refer you to a specialist called a gastroenterologist for further testing to confirm diagnosis.

The tests you might have include:³

• a colonoscopy – a flexible tube containing a camera called a colonoscope, which allows the specialist to check for inflammation
• a biopsy – a small sample of tissue is removed during a colonoscopy and checked for signs of Crohn's disease
• an MRI scan or CT scan – both scans produce detailed images of the inside of the body. An MRI uses magnetic fields and radio waves, while a CT scan uses X-rays and a computer

If your GP suspects ulcerative colitis, they may refer you to a specialist called a gastroenterologist for further testing to confirm diagnosis.

The tests you might have include:⁴

• a sigmoidoscopy – a sigmoidoscope is a thin, flexible tube containing a camera that's inserted into your rectum (bottom). It can also be used to remove a small sample of tissue from your gut so it can be tested in a lab. This is called a biopsy
• a colonoscopy
• You can read more on what these tests entail on Crohn’s and Colitis UK (CCUK) here

Find more information and resources on topics related to IBD

Abbreviations

CD = Crohn’s disease; IBD = inflammatory bowel disease; UC = ulcerative colitis.