What is the difference between IBS & IBD?
IBS – Irritable Bowel Syndrome and IBD – Inflammatory Bowel Disease, are two conditions of the intestinal tract. They share some common symptoms such as pain and discomfort, urgency and bloating, and alteration of bowel habits. While IBS is usually characterized as a functional disease or syndrome with a diagnosis made on a cluster of symptoms in the absence of notable structural abnormalities, IBD is a very similar disorder, but does differ in that it is a collection of disorders characterized by chronic mucosal and/or inflammation of the intestines. IBD is typically separated into two different diseases – Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. IBD is characterized by inflammation or ulceration, i.e. “organic” changes in the small and/or large intestines, which are not associated with IBS. Crohn’s Disease is characterized by inflammation involving all layers of the bowel wall in any part of the gastro-intestinal tract. The most common sites include the small intestine, colon, and sto
