Millions of Americans suffer from digestive issues that have an impact not only on their nutrition and comfort but also on their quality of life. The key to finding relief is an accurate (and ideally early) diagnosis, so you can begin taking steps to improve your digestive health and overall wellness.
In their abbreviated forms, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome — IBD and IBS may sound similar, but they’re actually quite different, and the way they’re treated differs too.
Here, our team at Digestive Disease Specialists in Moline, Illinois, and Bettendorf, Iowa, offers a brief overview of IBS and IBD to help you understand the symptoms and seek the care you need as soon as possible.
IBD is a chronic disease where your immune system mistakenly attacks the tissues of your digestive tract, causing inflammation and tissue damage. There are two primary types of IBD: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC). While UC affects the small or large intestine (or both), Crohn’s disease can affect any part of your digestive tract.
If you have IBD, you’re likely to have symptoms like:
IBD can also cause symptoms in other areas of your body, including joint pain, anemia, and even issues affecting your liver, bones, or kidneys.
IBD diagnosis usually involves a combination of diagnostic imaging, stool and blood tests, and a colonoscopy to see inside your colon. A colonoscopy helps identify areas of inflammation that may indicate IBD and allows us to take tissue samples for further evaluation.
IBS is a gastrointestinal disorder that can cause some of the same symptoms as IBD, but unlike IBD, it doesn’t cause tissue damage. With IBS, there’s no inflammation in your digestive tract, but the disorder can still cause a lot of discomfort and unpredictability that takes a toll on day-to-day living.
If you have IBS, you may have symptoms like:
IBS can further be divided into types based on whether you have diarrhea (IBS-D), constipation (IBS-C), or both.
Researchers aren’t sure why IBS occurs, but they believe it involves multiple factors, like food choices and other dietary habits, stress, and individual gut sensitivity. Bacterial overgrowth in your intestine, infections, and low stomach acid may contribute as well.
Because IBS doesn’t cause permanent bowel damage, diagnosing it is a little tricky. Typically, IBS is diagnosed once other possible causes of symptoms have been ruled out.
The primary difference between IBD and IBS is the presence of inflammation that, in turn, causes visible and measurable changes in your digestive tract.
By contrast, if you have IBS, your digestive tract appears healthy but functions abnormally. This single difference is critical because it also means treatment and complications vary.
Not surprisingly, IBD and IBS require vastly different treatments. Specifically, IBD treatment focuses largely on controlling abnormal immune responses that cause inflammation and tissue damage.
Ongoing monitoring is also essential for preventing life-threatening complications. In severe cases, you may need surgery to remove the damaged parts of your digestive system.
IBS management revolves around identifying triggers that cause symptom flare-ups, then taking steps to avoid triggers or reduce their effects. Most people with IBS can manage their symptoms successfully with dietary changes and lifestyle modifications, including stress management. Sometimes, medication is prescribed to help alleviate acute symptoms.
IBD has the potential for complications like bowel obstruction, malnutrition, perforated colon, toxic megacolon, and colorectal cancer. As a result, it requires close monitoring and ongoing medical treatment to watch for these complications and provide treatment as needed.
While IBS can definitely cause uncomfortable and frustrating symptoms, it doesn’t cause permanent tissue damage or increase your risk of long-term or life-threatening health issues, like colon cancer.
If you experience changes in your bowel habits or other symptoms related to your digestive system, it’s very important to have them medically evaluated as soon as possible. Even mild symptoms could be an indicator of a serious underlying problem, like cancer, that requires a prompt medical response.
To find out what’s causing your symptoms and how we can help, book an appointment online or over the phone with Digestive Disease Specialists today.
