Irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease

IBS and IBD are two similar yet different gastrointestinal disorders that can cause major problems for sufferers.

IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome)

IBS may be a sign that there is an underlying health condition. Women most frequently experience IBS, but men can also be affected by this condition.

Symptoms include:

• Intense gas pain
• Bowel movement disruption
• Change in stool’s appearance

There are many secondary symptoms of IBS that may include

• Heart palpitations
• Fatigue
• Unpleasant taste in the mouth
• Headache or backache.

IBD (Inflammatory bowel disease)

Crohn’s Disease, one of the disorders that make up IBD, is an autoimmune disorder, which means your body’s immune system attacks healthy body tissue. It results in chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, causing the intestinal wall to become thick.

Ulcerative colitis, on the other hand, affects the lining of the rectum and can also expand to affect the colon’s lining as well. Its cause is unknown, but may also be related to an immune disorder.

Common symptoms of IBD include:

• Aching, sore joints
• Skin and mouth sores
• Red, inflamed eyes
• Rectal bleeding, weight loss and fever
• Abdominal pain, often in the lower-right part of the abdomen
• Diarrhea
• Poor growth in children