What Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

Dr. Garth Swanson introduces himself and describes inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Dr. Swanson:
My name is Garth Swanson. I am a Assistant Professor of Medicine here at Rush University. I am a specialist in digestive diseases, and I have several areas of research I am working at here at Rush University. One is in the area of inflammatory bowel disease and its effects on the GI tract, and the other is alcohol and its effect on the GI tract.

Inflammatory bowel disease is a autoimmune disorder, that is, a disorder where your own immune system becomes overactive and attacks your gut or your GI tract. It is a disease that is chronic, lifelong, and often carries a waxing and waning course where patients will have long periods where they will be completely asymptomatic, and then other times where they'll have flares which often present with abdominal pain, diarrhea, or bleeding.

About Dr. Swanson, M.D., M.S.:
Dr. Garth Swanson, M.D., M.S., is Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Digestive Diseases at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. His practice focuses on the diagnosis, management, and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Swanson has a master's degree in clinical research and his research interests include how environmental factors, such as alcohol and sleep, can affect gut inflammation and colonic bacteria.

Dr. Swanson received his medical degree from Medical University of South Carolina. He completed his residency and his fellowship at Rush University Medical Center. His special interests include inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and microscopic colitis.

Visit Dr. Swanson at Rush University Medical Center