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What causes inflammatory bowel disease?

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The cause(s) of inflammatory bowel disease is not known. However people believe that it may be genetically linked since IBD is known to run in families.

An environmental cause is also believed to play a role in developing Crohn's disease because it most often occurs in people who smoke, are residents of Northern European countries, and live in urban areas.

Other researchers speculate that the disease may be caused by an infection or virus.

Still others believe that the body's immune system is reacting to unidentified or unknown substance. This substance would cause the immune system to respond inappropriately against normal intestinal tissue, resulting in chronic inflammation.

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Read the Original Article: Frequently Asked Questions About Inflammatory Bowel Disease