Unfortunately, the majority of patients with Crohn’s disease will need an operation during their life (but new medications designed to help patients avoid surgery are becoming more effective), and optimal treatment occasionally involves a variety of medications, including steroids and biologics, and repeat operations. Crohn’s disease is further divided into stricturing disease (intestinal narrowing), penetrating disease (fistula/abnormal connection between organs) and inflammatory disease. Crohn’s disease can occur in any portion of the gastrointestinal tract starting from the mouth, through the stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum, anus and peri-anal area. According to David Schwartzberg, MD, Colorectal & IBD Surgeon at Mather Colorectal Surgery, “patients are best served by seeing specialists who manage and can perform complex operations on patients with IBD to have the best outcomes and get the patient back to living their lives.”Ĭrohn’s disease can cause pain, fever, bleeding, bloating, ongoing abdominal infections, recurrent abscesses around the anus, unintended weight loss and an inability to eat. The medical treatment of IBD aims at controlling the inflammation caused by the body, and surgery is occasionally needed. The symptoms unique to IBD that are caused by inflammation in the gut can include blood in the stool or black stools, weight loss or loss of appetite, and fever. These may require tests of blood and stool, a colonoscopy, imaging studies like CAT scans or MRIs, or a biopsy in order for your physician to make a diagnosis. Unlike IBS, with IBD there is physical damage such as inflammation, ulcers and bleeding. IBD is broken up into three main classes: Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and indeterminant colitis. The occurrence of IBD is increasing yearly in the United States. IBD is a term used to describe a group of autoimmune disorders (the body attacks its own organs) where the intestines become inflamed. Other treatments that may help relieve IBS include stress management, acupuncture, and relaxation training. Your doctor may also prescribe medications to help with diarrhea or constipation if those are symptoms you’re trying to manage. People with IBS usually try to treat it with dietary changes, however, there is no specific diet that works for everyone with IBS. Other symptoms of IBS include gassiness, nausea or the feeling of needing to have a bowel movement. The pain is usually associated with a bowel movement. People with IBS would typically present with stomach pain for at least one day a week for the past three months. Your doctor may use blood and stool tests, x-ray, endoscopy, or other tests to rule out other diseases. Unlike IBD, IBS cannot be confirmed by visual examination or with diagnostic tests because it does not cause inflammation in the digestive tract. IBS is largely managed by gastroenterologists with non-operative treatment plans. They can temporarily be relieved by having a bowel movement. Symptoms can occur after eating a large meal or can be induced by stress. The symptoms of IBS and their intensity vary from person to person. IBS is known as a functional disease, meaning you may have a group of symptoms, but diagnostic tests and procedures may not show any physical explanation for those symptoms. Although they are both chronic conditions, IBS and IBD have very different treatments and getting the correct diagnosis is key to properly managing the symptoms. IBS and IBD do have some similar symptoms, including stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea and constipation, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. It’s easy to mix up inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) because the names sound very similar, and some people with IBD can also have IBS, but these gastrointestinal conditions are two very different medical issues.
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