Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Crohns Disease Sign And Symptom

Question:
Difference between crohn’s/colitis and IBS? What are some of the signs and symptoms?

Answer:
IBS is Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It is a functional disorder that is not actually a disease process. It can be caused or cured by modifying diet and stress. IBD is Inflammatory Bowel Disease. This is a group of diseases of which Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis are a part of. They are  autoimmune diseases where the body's immune system attacks itself, in this case the digestive system. The disease process causes ulceration and inflammation, much like and including canker sores throughout the digestive tract. The result of that inflammation causes, among many other symptoms, scar tissue and narrowing of the intestines which in turn causes functional impairment. Diet (as indicated in scientific studies to date) does not cause or cure IBD. However, because of the added functional implications of the disease, diet does have an impact on pain and SOME symptom management. There is no known cure for IBD. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are similar - so similar that they're often mistaken for one another. Both inflame the lining of your digestive tract, and both can cause severe bouts of watery or bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain. But Crohn's disease can occur anywhere in your digestive tract, often spreading deep into the layers of affected tissues. Ulcerative colitis, on the other hand, usually affects only the innermost lining of your large intestine (colon) and rectum.