Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treated by Experts at Mercy in Baltimore
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, includes disorders that cause inflammation of the intestines. This chronic inflammatory disease of the digestive tract is thought to be caused by an abnormal function of the immune system, which reacts against the body’s own intestinal tissue. At The Center for Inflammatory Bowel and Colorectal Diseases at Mercy in Baltimore, Dr. Mary Harris and Dr. Matilda Hagan work with patients to diagnose, treat, and manage their inflammatory bowel disease. Women especially seek the expertise of Dr. Harris who is recognized as an authority on managing inflammatory bowel disease in conjunction with pregnancy.
The various types of inflammatory bowel disease often have similar symptoms, which include:
- Abdominal pain
- Cramping
- Severe diarrhea
- Blood in stool
- Ulcers
- Reduced appetite
- Weight loss
To diagnose inflammatory bowel disease, various tests may be conducted, including:
- Blood tests
- Colonoscopy
- Small bowel imaging
- CT scan
- MRI
- Capsule endoscopy
- Double balloon endoscopy
- Chromoendoscopy