According to Hammer and McPhee (2014), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) presents as a chronic condition which is characterized by partial or complete inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). It can be classified into ulcerative colitis (Mayo Clinic, 2015). It is suggested that there is a genetic link to the risk associated with IBD specifically Chron’s disease. This is closely associated with the disruption of GIT epithelial cells which form a protective layer in the GIT, autophagy defects, recognition receptors deficiencies, and lymphocyte differentiation problems. Existing evidence links clinical and pathological features of IBD to inflammatory mediators (Mayo Clinic, 2015).
On the other hand, the most commonly encountered GIT functional condition is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (Huether and McCance, 2017). Just like IBD, it is a chronic condition which presents with alteration of bowel function accompanied by abdominal pain and has no organic cause. For IBS, bowel function disruption stems from the central nervous system or within the GIT. It presents with slight to severe symptoms. While stress does not cause IBS, it can worsen the symptoms (IFFGD, 2016). The pathophysiology of IBS is not well understood and as such, it is considered a condition that is caused by the interactive occurrence of several factors (Hammer & McPhee, 2014).
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IBD can be treated using anti-inflammatory drugs such as NSAIDs and immune suppressors with the aim of avoiding the removal of the affected parts, lifestyle and diet changes or proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis. IBS can only be managed by behavioral and diet modifications. Additionally, symptom-specific medications such as anti-diarrheal, fiber supplements, anticholinergics, and antidepressants can be used to treat IBS (Huether and McCance, 2017). From this, it is clear that behavioral and lifestyle modifications are a common way that is used to manage the two disorders. In terms of age distribution, IBD mainly affects younger people; it can also affect older ones. IBS is a disorder of patients below 45 years (Hammer & McPhee, 2014).
References
Huether, S. E., & McCance, K. L. (2017). Understanding pathophysiology (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
Hammer, G. G. , & McPhee, S. (2014). Pathophysiology of disease: An introduction to clinical medicine. (7th ed.) New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education
Mayo Clinic. (2015). Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Retrieved April 9, 2019, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/inflammatory-bowel-disease/basics/complications/con-20034908
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