IBD is an autoimmune disease that damages your digestive tract and produces painful symptoms. There is no cure for IBD and doctors aren’t sure what causes it. But the right combination of these risk factors might be to blame:
Genetics.
Exposure to certain things in the environment, especially cigarette smoke.
Frequent use of NSAID medicines like aspirin or ibuprofen.
History of antibiotic use.
Changes in your gut microbiome (the bacteria in your digestive tract).
An overactive immune system.
There’s no proof that stress by itself causes IBD. However, chronic stress might contribute to changes in your microbiome and how your immune system works. Those changes may increase your risk of developing IBD, especially if you have other risk factors. People with IBD often report feelings of anxiety and stress, but it’s difficult to know which came first: the IBD or the stress.