Is there a difference between inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome? You may have heard both of these terms used interchangeably before – inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The truth is that these are two very different conditions. To answer the question in the title, yes, there is a difference between the two and if you keep reading, you will find out what that is.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Let’s begin with the easier condition to explain. Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS for short, is actually the name given for a group of symptoms that involve the intestinal area of the digestive tract. Common symptoms of IBS include: constipation, cramping in the abdominal area (your belly), bloating, belly pain and diarrhea. As a person with IBS, you may exhibit all or some of these symptoms. They may go on for several months at a time.

The cause of IBS is not known. Certain foods, stress or other lifestyle choices may exacerbate your symptoms but not a lot is known about what bothers the intestinal area in the first place. It is speculated that the fault may lie in the processing of the signals sent from the brain to your small and large intestines. Because the condition mostly occurs in women, hormonal changes might be another potential culprit. The only mainstream medical cure is to treat the symptoms with drugs. In integrative medicine, however, there are a number of different treatment options, including but not limited to a personalized food intolerance/allergy avoidance program, acupuncture, and melatonin.

 

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The name alone gives a clue as to what separates these two digestive conditions. With inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, the intestinal area actually exhibits an inflammatory process in response to certain triggers. Symptoms may include: diarrhea, bloody stools, joint pain, skin issues, fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, and severe pain in the abdomen (the area below your stomach where your intestines are located).

Inside your body, the intestines (large and/or small) show changes as well. The area affected can become red, swollen, and subject to strictures from scar tissue, ulcers and fistulas (abnormal opening between two body structures). There are two kinds of inflammatory bowel disease that are most often talked about: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis often affects the innermost layer of the intestinal wall, the area closest to the bowel that travels through it. Crohn’s disease can affect deep inner layers of tissue as well in the intestines, particularly the ileum – the last part of the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine. Also with Crohn’s disease, any area of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus is subject to be affected.

These are serious conditions, and you need medical evaluation and treatment. Still, there are more benign integrative treatments possible, including but not limited to high dose probiotic and prebiotic supplements.

On the surface, it may seem like both conditions are similar. Your physician may use the same tests to diagnose your condition. With most symptoms that pertain to the intestinal area, the doctor will want to rule out any even more serious condition first before looking into IBS or IBD. Either of these conditions may affect your life in major ways as long as the symptoms continue.