IBD Cases Increase in Productive Age, Symptoms Often Considered Other Digestive Disorders

JAKARTA - Chronic inflammatory bowel disease or Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is increasingly found in the productive age group. One of the causes, not a few people do not understand the early symptoms of IBD so that the diagnosis and proper treatment are late.

Internal Medicine Specialist Consultant Gastroenterologist-Hepatologist and leader of the digestive center DIVINE Eka Hospital MT Haryono, Prof. Dr. Murdani Abdullah, Sp.PD, KGEH, FINASIM, FACG, FASGE said many patients came in late because they thought the symptoms were mild.

One of the most common is a complaint of bloody bowel movements (BAB) which is immediately associated with hemorrhoids or hemorrhoids.

"Symptoms such as bloody stools are often immediately considered hemorrhoids, although not all bloody stools are hemorrhoids," said Prof. Murdani in a media briefing in Jakarta, Monday, May 25, 2026.

According to him, one of the biggest challenges in handling IBD is the similarity of symptoms with other more common digestive diseases.

For example, on symptoms similar to hemorrhoids, although it actually belongs to IBD. This symptom also needs to be considered and patients need to understand the difference.

In the case of blood hemorrhoids, it is usually fresh red in color and comes out after a bowel movement. Complaints are generally accompanied by pain, itching in the anal area, or constipation.

Meanwhile, in IBD, blood is usually mixed with mucus or stool and lasts longer. This condition is often accompanied by abdominal pain, prolonged diarrhea, to the body easily tired.

"IBD usually has blood mixed with mucus or feces and the complaints last more than two weeks, often accompanied by abdominal pain or diarrhea," he said.

In addition to bloody BAB, other symptoms to watch out for include weight loss without a clear cause, fever, fatigue, and recurring abdominal pain.

"If there is a weight loss without a clear cause, then you have to be careful because it can be one of the signs of IBD," said Prof. Murdani.

In addition, there are also other symptoms of IBD that are often mistaken, such as prolonged diarrhea is also often considered trivial by the community. In fact, this condition can be one of the main symptoms of chronic intestinal inflammation.

"Diarrhea due to eating the wrong food usually lasts two to five days. But in IBD, diarrhea can last more than two weeks," he explained.

Public awareness of IBD symptoms, which are still relatively low because they are often considered a common digestive disorder, is a factor in the high number of cases of IBD that are not properly handled.

As a result, patients can spend years on the wrong treatment before finally knowing that they have chronic intestinal inflammation.

"It has been five years of treatment to everywhere, it turns out to be IBD. So the treatment is not as optimal as the diagnosis from the beginning," he continued.

Prof Murdani explained that the diagnosis of IBD cannot be based solely on symptoms. A colonoscopy examination accompanied by a biopsy is an important step to ensure that there is inflammation in the intestine. Therefore, he reminded the public not to arbitrarily take medication before undergoing a complete examination.

In addition to colonoscopy, doctors usually also perform other examinations such as fecal tests, Fecal Calprotectin, CT Scan, to MRI to monitor the condition of the intestine and the development of the disease.

"Never let someone take medication for IBD treatment before a colonoscopy examination," he explained.

Furthermore, Prof. Murdani also highlighted the increasing cases of IBD in developing countries that are undergoing industrialization and changes in modern lifestyles.

The pattern of consumption of ultra-processed foods, foods high in preservatives, low in fiber, to a sedentary lifestyle is said to be related to an increased risk of digestive health disorders.

In addition to dietary patterns, stress, lack of physical activity, and changes in sleep patterns are also considered to affect the condition of the gut microbiota which is related to the emergence of chronic inflammation.

"IBD often occurs at a productive age, especially at the age of 20 to 40 years," he concluded.