Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a group of digestive disorders that consists of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's Disease.

April 10th, 2008

What’s the Difference Between Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

Health News posted 4 years ago by The Healia Team

This month is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month and the perfect opportunity to clear up some of the confusion between Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

According to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD), IBS, a disorder of the colon or rectum, is a common disorder that affects approximately 10–20% of the general population. While the cause of IBS is unknown, researchers have found that the colon muscle in people with IBS contracts more readily than in people without IBS.

A number of factors can trigger IBS symptoms, including certain foods, medicines, and stress. IBS is not a life-threatening condition and does not make a person more likely to develop other colon conditions, such as colitis, Crohn’s disease, or colon cancer. Symptoms of IBS include:

Abdominal pains or cramps (usually in the lower half of the abdomen)
Excess gas
Harder or looser bowel movements than average

IBD most often refers to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis cause inflammation of the bowel. Crohn’s disease is a chronic illness in which the intestine becomes inflamed and ulcerated (marked with sores).

Crohn’s disease typically begins in the lower part of the small intestine, although it can occur in any part of the large or small intestine, stomach, or esophagus. The symptoms of Crohn’s disease depend on where the disease is in the intestine and its severity. In general, symptoms include:

Chronic diarrhea
Weight loss
Fever
Abdominal pain and tenderness (often on the right side of the lower abdomen)
Feeling of a mass or fullness in the lower, right abdomen

Ulcerative colitis, the second type of IBD, occurs only in the inner layer of the large intestine. The inflammation originates in the rectum and spreads to other parts of the colon. The symptoms of ulcerative colitis include: