- It is estimated that 40% of patients with IBD take more than a year to receive a correct diagnosis.
- Although there is no cure, there are various treatments available that must be followed for life.
- For IBS, young women with a family history of anxiety or depression are at higher risk.
Receiving a medical diagnosis is always difficult because the patient hears only parts of the conversation as they begin to think about the treatment that will be necessary and how it will affect their daily life. This can be even more complex in the case of diseases that have very similar names but are actually quite different.
Diseases that look the same but are not
An example of the above is the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and the Irritable bowel syndrome (SII). Because of their similarity, many times people outside the health field confuse them. Therefore, one of your tasks to prevent this from happening with your patients is to explain very well what each one consists of.
Regarding this topic, Dr. Daisy Batista, gastroenterologist of the Health System of Mayo Clinic at La Crosseexplains the difference between these two conditions.
What is IBD?
To get started, IBD is made up of a group of autoimmune diseases that includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. According to the specialist, in this group the immune system attacks the intestine and causes inflammation.
“Inflammatory bowel disease can be triggered by a combination of a genetic predisposition with a disease or exposure to something in the environment that triggers the immune system to attack the gut, causing inflammation. The diagnosis in adults occurs especially in two periods: between 20 and 30 years, and between 50 and 60 years.
Common symptoms in IBD
- Diarrhea.
- Rectal bleeding.
- Stomach distension.
- Occasional constipation.
- Gases.
- Urge to defecate.
- Abdominal pain and cramps.
IBD symptoms can occur regularly and significantly affect quality of life. Treatment usually involves the use of immunosuppressive drugs to prevent the immune system from attacking the intestine. Changes in diet can decrease inflammation.
Main characteristics of IBS
On the other hand, IBS is an intestinal disorder in which the digestive organs appear normal but do not function as they should. For most people it is a chronic disease in which symptoms range from mild to severe, sometimes even disappearing.
While IBS can affect almost anyone, there are some risk factors. Dr. Batista indicates that the Young women with a family history of the disease or with a history of anxiety or depression are at higher risk.
Although IBS is incurable, it does not permanently damage the intestines.
“Irritable bowel syndrome can affect quality of life, so it’s important to know what the symptoms are and what can be done to manage them.”
The current knowledge of the IBS suggests that the cause of the symptoms is a hypersensitivity in the intestine that affects how the body perceives stimuli related to intestinal function. Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms so that people with this disease can live as normally as possible.
In most cases, mild IBS symptoms can be controlled by learning to manage stress and making healthy dietary and lifestyle changes, including exercising regularly, drinking plenty of fluids, and getting plenty of sleep. enough. Your health care team may prescribe other specific dietary changes, medications, and supplemental treatments.
Also read:
Irritable Colon Syndrome, a new possible sequel to Covid-19
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, what is it and what are its damages?
Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Keys for its timely diagnosis