If you’re new to the world of IBD it may be confusing to differentiate IBD from IBS. They are after all both known to cause gut chaos, abdominal pain, and have a varying degree of severity depending on the person. This is however where the similarities end. In the following paragraphs we will cover their differences in demographic, symptoms, diagnosis, causes and treatment. I hope to provide you with a good understanding of both, and clear up any common questions or myths.
For starters, IBD stands for inflammatory bowel disease whereas IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome is just that, a syndrome. Here is their first notable difference. IBD is a lifelong autoimmune disease making it more serious in many ways. These include; increased risk for colon cancer, fueled by damaging chronic inflammation, and usually requires the use of biologic and immune inhibiting drugs or surgery to get under control. IBS, also lifelong, can be debilitating in severity and is often found in conjunction with other functional disorders such as fibromyalgia and TMJ.
As far as demographic goes approximately 1.6 million Americans have IBD, whereas 25-35 million Americans have IBS making it much more common. For age groups there is some slight overlap. IBD patients are usually diagnosed in the age group of 16-35. IBS is usually diagnosed in adolescence and early adulthood making the age group very similar.
Now let’s talk about symptoms. Both IBS and IBD are known to cause abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, urgency and frequency in bathroom visits, and mucus in the stool. IBS however is usually seen as constipation followed by frequent diarrhea, whereas IBD patients don’t usually experience constipation. One more severe symptom of IBD is blood loss accompanied with frequent diarrhea. IBD patients also suffer from fever, weight loss, malnutrition, anemia, night sweats, loss of normal menstrual cycle, and varying complications none of which are associated with IBS. IBD can also affect joints, eyes, skin, bones, mouth, kidney and liver. Please note this does not include every symptom, but does list the most common ones.
Diagnosis varies as well. IBD can be confirmed through visual examinations like endoscopy, bloodwork, or stool tests. IBS is diagnosed by a doctor with some criteria. Usually if active gastric distress is observed for 12 weeks over a year accompanied by immediate relief upon using the bathroom, change in frequency, or change in form IBS will be diagnosed.
So, what exactly causes this? Well for IBS and IBD the specific reasons are not fully understood; however, a variety of factors have been found to apply. For IBD in particular genetics play a huge role although not fully understood. Some environmental factors can come into play for IBD too. These include smoking, overuse of antibiotics, overuse of anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin and ibuprofen, appendicitis, and poor diet. IBS on the other hand is thought to be caused by irregular colon mobility patterns. This simply means that the muscles in the colon are not contracting properly. This ‘irritability’ can be caused by stress, food, hormones, and medications. These spasms will sometimes delay movement all together or may cause quite the opposite. This is why the word irritable is assigned to this syndrome.
Now that we have a basic understanding of what they are, how do we treat IBS and IBD? IBS is often treated with education. Many IBS patients with mild symptoms can control their syndrome with reducing stress and dietary changes. For moderate to severe patients’ dietary changes may apply as well, but medication is the next line of defense. These are often in pill form and taken daily. Treatment of IBD is a little different. It will most commonly be treated with medication as well, but much more serious drugs. These include; Aminosalicylates, Corticosteroids, Immunomodulators, and Biologic therapies. Some of these come in pill form, but many are intravenously injected over a few hours every few weeks. If these medications do not work, surgery is usually the next option. This might be taking out a small portion of the intestines or the entire colon. This is not always a guarantee of remission as other complications can occur.
I hope this gives you a firm understanding of the differences and similarities of IBS and IBD. Now it is worth noting that you can be diagnosed with both. I was diagnosed with IBS when I was 14, and then diagnosed with IBD when I was 21. I have some recurring symptoms from both, but have started to see the differences in how they feel. If you or a loved one has either IBS, IBD, or both and find yourself experiencing symptoms, just remember it will change, and to take it day by day. Celebrate the small victories, and practice some self-love along the way!
Want to see the full article from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation? Check it out HERE!
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