Plain English
The words, explained.
You get handed a diagnosis and a whole new vocabulary in the same breath - calprotectin, biologics, remission, proctitis. Here’s what it all actually means, in plain English, so you can follow what your team is saying. Not medical advice, just a translation.
The jargon
IBD terms, in plain English
- IBD (inflammatory bowel disease)
- The umbrella term for the two main conditions below. It is NOT the same as IBS.
- Ulcerative colitis (UC)
- A type of IBD where the large bowel (colon) becomes inflamed and ulcerated. Lifelong, but treatable and manageable.
- Crohn's disease
- The other main IBD. Unlike UC, it can affect anywhere in the gut, from mouth to bottom, not just the colon.
- IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
- A different, non-inflammatory gut condition. People constantly mix it up with IBD - they are not the same thing.
- Flare (flare-up)
- A period when the illness is active and symptoms come back or get worse. The bit you're always watching for.
- Remission
- When the inflammation settles and symptoms quieten down. The goal of treatment. Feeling better isn't the same as being cured.
- Urgency
- The sudden, desperate need to get to a toilet right now. One of the hardest symptoms to live around day to day.
- Tenesmus
- The feeling that you still need to go even when you've just been - your bowel telling you fibs.
- Faecal calprotectin
- A stool test that measures inflammation in your gut. A number that lets your team see how active things are without a camera.
- CRP
- A marker of inflammation measured in a blood test, often checked alongside calprotectin.
- Colonoscopy
- A thin, flexible tube with a camera that looks at your whole colon. This is the one with the infamous prep drink the night before.
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy
- A shorter version that only looks at the lower part of the bowel - usually with less (or no) prep.
- Biopsy
- A tiny tissue sample taken during a scope so it can be looked at under a microscope.
- 5-ASA / mesalazine
- A common first-line anti-inflammatory medicine for UC. Comes as tablets, granules, or enemas/suppositories; brand names vary.
- Steroids (e.g. prednisolone)
- Used to calm a flare quickly. Not the gym kind. A short-term firefighter, not a long-term plan.
- Immunosuppressant (e.g. azathioprine)
- A medicine that dials down an over-active immune system to help keep things settled.
- Biologics (e.g. infliximab, adalimumab, vedolizumab)
- Targeted medicines used when standard treatment isn't enough. Often given by infusion (a drip) or by injection.
- Infusion
- A medicine given slowly into a vein through a drip, often at hospital every few weeks.
- Cannula
- The little tube they pop into the back of your hand or arm to give a drip or take blood.
- Stoma / ostomy (ileostomy, colostomy)
- A surgically made opening for waste to leave the body into a bag. Most people with UC never need one - but it's talked about a lot online, so it can feel more common than it is.
- Proctitis / left-sided colitis / pancolitis
- Terms for how much of the colon is affected - just the rectum, the left side, or the whole colon.
- IBD nurse
- A specialist nurse and often your most useful point of contact between appointments. Get their number.
- Gastroenterologist
- The consultant (specialist doctor) who looks after your gut.
- Toxic megacolon
- A rare but serious complication of a very severe flare. It's rare - but it's the reason severe symptoms are always treated as urgent.
UK vs US
Same thing, different word
I write in British English here - so “poo”, “GP”, “A&E”. If you’re reading from the US or elsewhere, here’s the translation so nothing gets lost.
Poo=poop / stool / bowel movement (BM)
Stool / faeces=stool / feces
Wee=pee / urine
Toilet / loo=bathroom / restroom
A&E=the ER (emergency room)
GP=family doctor / primary care (PCP)
Consultant=specialist / attending
Tummy=stomach / belly
Diarrhoea=diarrhea
Faecal=fecal
Theatre (for surgery)=operating room (OR)
Paracetamol=acetaminophen (Tylenol)
A reminderThese are plain-English explanations from my own experience of living with UC, to help you follow your care - not medical definitions or advice. Your GP, consultant or IBD team are the people to explain what any of this means for you.
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