What is the difference between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS)? How would I know if I have either one of these?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common though uncomfortable disorder of
the colon or rectum. While the basic 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, including
certain foods, medicines, and emotional 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
Symptoms of IBS DO NOT include bleeding or black stools.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) most often refers to Crohn’s disease and
ulcerative colitis, but also might be referred to as colitis, enteritis, ileitis,
and proctitis. Both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis cause inflammation
of the bowel.
Crohn’s disease is a chronic illness in which the intestine (bowel) becomes
inflamed and ulcerated (marked with sores). Crohn’s disease typically begins
in the lower part of the small intestine (ileum), although it can occur in any
part of the large or small intestine, stomach, or esophagus. Crohn’s disease
affects the entire thickness of the walls of the bowel, explaining why patients
with Crohn’s disease are prone to developing fistulas and abscesses. In
addition, sections of diseased bowel can be interrupted by sections of healthy
bowel.
The symptoms of Crohn’s disease depend on where the disease occurs in the
bowel 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 occurs only in the large intestine and typically follows
an unbroken pattern. Ulcerative colitis affects only the large intestine. It
does not affect the esophagus, stomach, or small intestine. It affects only
the inner layer of the colon (mucosa), and does so in a continuous pattern. The
inflammation begins in the rectum and then spreads to other segments of the
colon.
The main symptom of ulcerative colitis is diarrhea, which subsequently becomes
bloody. Occasionally the symptoms of ulcerative colitis include severe bloody
diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever.
If you suspect you have IBS or IBD, it is important to see your health care
provider. Your provider should review your medical history and perform a
physical examination. The medical history is especially important for the Crohn’s
disease diagnosis, since the disease is more common in people who have a
first-degree relative with IBS. To diagnose IBD, one or more of the following
tests might be ordered
- Blood tests
- Stool samples
- Endoscopic examination of the
colon with biopsies
- Barium X-ray (barium enema).