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What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)? |
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| Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is characterized by chronic abdominal pain or discomfort, a change in bowel pattern, such as loose or more frequent bowel movements, diarrhea, and/or constipation. It is understood as a multi-faceted disorder. Sometimes Irritable Bowel Syndrome is referred to as spastic colon, mucous colitis, spastic colitis, nervous stomach, or irritable colon. |
| Inflammatory Bowel Disease, or IBD, is a chronic inflammation disorder of the small and/or large intestine. The most common forms of IBD are Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis, and Diverticulitis. The mucous membranes lining the colon become inflamed and develop ulcers, fissures, or blockages (from thickened scar tissue) causing bloody diarrhea, pain, gas, bloating, and sometimes hard stools. Ulcerative Colitis is limited to the mucosa and submucosa, which are the first two layers of the lining of the bowel. Crohn's disease involves those two layers and also the next two layers below, the muscular layer and the connective tissue layer. The factors causing the two problems appear to be parallel. Since so many similarities exist the details of differences are not covered here. Diverticulosis is the condition of having small pouches in the bowel wall, usually in the colon. When these small pouches become inflamed or infected the condition is called Diverticulitis. |
| Who gets IBS and IBD? |
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| IBS affects approximately 15-20% of the general population. It is one of the most common disorders seen by all physicians. IBS affects men and women of all ages (it is most commonly seen in people in their 20's to 40's). |
| IBD occurs in approximately 0.5 % of the population. Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis can strike at any age, but you're most likely to develop IBD when you're young. Thirty percent of people with the disease are ages 10 through 19, and most are between the ages of 15 and 35. The average age at diagnosis is 27. IBD is two to four times more common in Caucasian whites than in non-Caucasians, and four times more common in Jews than non-Jews. If both your parents have IBD, you have a 50 percent chance of developing the disease. Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis are common in developed or industrialized countries--particularly the United States, England, and Australia--where low-fiber diets are common. Diverticulosis is found in 5% of people over 40, 30% by 60 and most people over 85. Approximately 8% of people with Diverticulosis develop Diverticulitis. |
| What causes IBS and IBD? |
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| IBS - The precise cause of IBS is not fully understood. In IBS there is no evidence of an organic disease. A "disregulation" between the brain, the gut, and the central nervous system causes the bowel to become "irritated", or overly sensitive to stimuli. Although IBS is often exacerbated by stress, it is not a psychological or psychiatric disorder. It is not, "all in the mind." |
| IBD - In general, the cause of most cases of Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis is unknown, but contributing factors have been identified as poor eating habits, stress, food allergies, vaccination, environmental toxins and overuse of antibiotics. Some genetic association appears to exist. Diverticulosis is thought to be caused by low fiber diets. Doctors are not certain what causes the infection in Diverticulitis. It may begin when stool or bacteria are caught in the small pouches in the colon and small puncture holes in the wall become infected. |
| People recovering from illness and/or surgery. |
| Are IBS and IBD life threatening? |
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| IBS is not life threatening. |
IBD - Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis usually aren't fatal.
Over time, if the disease is active, bowel function gradually deteriorates, and some research indicates that it may increase the risk of cancer by as much as twenty times. Severe weight loss due to malnutrition can lead to a highly compromised system and sometimes death. Diverticulitis, if serious, can lead to surgery, which removes the infected area of the bowel. |
| Are other diseases associated with IBS and IBD? |
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| IBS has not been shown to lead to any serious, organic diseases. |
| IBD - Weight loss is prevalent in 65 to 75 percent of IBD patients, mainly because of a continual decline in food intake and resultant malnutrition. Crohn's disease may cause problems in other parts of your body as well as in your intestines. These problems may include arthritis, inflammation of your eyes or skin, kidney stones and, occasionally, inflammation of your bile ducts. In severe cases of Diverticulitis the acute inflammation may affect adjacent organs like the bladder causing painful or increased urination. |
| What are the common treatments? |
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| IBS - Symptoms can often be managed with dietary or lifestyle changes. Stress management or relaxation techniques are often helpful. Consult your doctor for drugs available. |
| IBD - Allopathic (Western) medicine utilizes anti-inflammatory drugs, immune system suppressors, antibiotics and surgery. Alternative (natural) medicine advocates changes in diet, lifestyle, toxin elimination, herbal supplementation, immune system balancing, bodywork therapies (craniosacral, acupuncture, massage) and healing emotional issues. |
| Is there a cure? |
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| IBS - In western medicine, as yet, there is no cure. Treatments are aimed at alleviating symptoms. In alternative medicine, many people are free of IBS as long as they continue to live healthily. |
| IBD - According to western medicine, long-term remission of Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis can occur, but otherwise the diseases are considered chronic and incurable. Again, in alternative medicine, many people have healed themselves and remain healthy as long as they continue to address and heal the physical and emotional contributors to their disease. Diverticulitis, treated medically, can be cured with antibiotics or surgery and possibly prevented with a healthy diet of high fiber foods. Alternative medicine advocates a diet high in soft high fiber foods (broccoli, carrots, peas, cauliflower, etc.) and herbal supplementation to restore the mucosal lining and tone of the intestinal walls. |
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