Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Home » Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) » Cause and Risk Factors

Causes and Risk Factors

The cause for inflammatory bowel disease is unknown. IBD may be caused by an immune system response that is related to a combination of genetic (hereditary), environmental, and infectious (e.g., viral, bacterial) risk factors.

In patients who have IBD, a genetic abnormality may cause the immune system to overreact to bacteria, a virus, or an environmental factor, resulting in chronic inflammation in the GI tract.

Environmental risk factors for inflammatory bowel disease may include the following:

• Diet
• High stress levels
• Lack of exercise (sedentary lifestyle)
• Smoking

© 1998-2009 Healthcommunities.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Resources

	Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Your GI Condition The more knowledge you have, the easier it is to make decisions about your gi condition. Print this free handout to take with you on your next office visit.	Advertising Disclaimer
	Join Our Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Forum Do you have a question, want to share medical advice, or just need to discuss your situation with someone else having a similar experience? The healthchannels forum is a resource for everyone to share and discuss their health and medical needs with others.
	Living with...Share your story Do you have a personal health story that you would like to share with others? As a source of free patient education, our goal is to provide our users with trustworthy information and support from others. That's why we've started our "Living with..." sections.
	Our "Living With..." support pages are a place to share experiences about living with a certain condition, disease, disorder, or illness and for loved ones of those dealing with health-related issues. Many people, especially when newly diagnosed, find comfort in knowing that others are having a similar experience. Help others by sharing your story. View stories already submitted.
To quickly access health information from your website's browser, download Healthcommunities.com's healthchannels toolbar. Advertising Disclaimer