Understanding Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Understanding Inflammatory Bowel Disease

When discussing IBD, it is important to also discuss IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and contrast both disorders. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a broad term that refers to chronic swelling and inflammation of the intestines. It's often confused with the non-inflammatory condition, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Although the two disorders share similar names and some of the same symptoms, they have distinct differences.

Different intestinal disorders can produce similar symptoms. Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition that produces some symptoms similar to those of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, but they are not the same condition, and they involve very different treatments. Therefore, getting an accurate diagnosis is essential to managing a patient’s condition properly. Here is a quick review of IBS and how it differs from IBD.

Irritable bowel syndrome is classified as a functional gastrointestinal disorder, which means there is some type of disturbance in bowel function. It is not a disease, but rather a syndrome, defined as a group of symptoms. These typically include chronic abdominal pain or discomfort and diarrhea, constipation, or alternating bouts of the two. People with IBS are also more likely to have other functional disorders such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pelvic pain, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.

IBS does not cause inflammation. IBS does not produce destructive inflammation. IBS seldom requires hospitalization, and treatment does not usually involve surgery or powerful medications, such as steroids or immunosuppressives. IBD is inflammatory, destructive, and treatments often include hospitalizations with surgeries and very powerful medications.

Now let’s talk more about IBD, subtypes Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis.

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