Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsIBS vs. Other ConditionsUlcerative ColitisMicroscopic ColitisInfectious ColitisOverlap: IBD and IBSInflammation in IBS
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
IBS vs. Other Conditions
Ulcerative Colitis
Microscopic Colitis
Infectious Colitis
Overlap: IBD and IBS
Inflammation in IBS
Colitis can result insymptomsthat are similar to those ofirritable bowel syndrome(IBS). This raises the question: Is there an overlap or connection between IBS and colitis?
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IBS vs. More Serious Causes of Intestinal Symptoms
Even though IBS can significantly impair your quality of life, it is usually not considered a serious illness, and it doesn’t lead to life-threatening complications.
However, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider if you experience any symptoms that could point to a more serious condition, including:
Ulcerative Colitis and IBS
Ulcerative colitis is a more serious condition than IBS.Other symptoms of ulcerative colitis that aren’t present in IBS include:
2:33What Causes Ulcerative Colitis?
2:33
What Causes Ulcerative Colitis?
Microscopic Colitis and IBS
Microscopic colitis is a disease in which a person experiences chronic, watery diarrhea. The disease differs from IBS in that signs of inflammation can be seen when intestinal cells are examined under a microscope.
Shared symptoms of microscopic colitis and IBS are:
Weight loss is a symptom that is unique to microscopic coliti.:
Infectious Colitis and IBS
The symptoms of infectious colitis are quite different from those of IBS, and include:
Overlap Between IBD and IBS
Although the two disorders have traditionally been seen as distinct in terms of both presentation andcause, some researchers are putting forth theories that perhaps the two diagnoses of IBS and IBD are actually at different ends of the same spectrum.
IBSBenignSymptoms: pain plus constipation and/or diarrheaRarely leads to serious complications, surgery, or deathIBDCan be seriousSymptoms: pain, diarrhea, bloody stool, fever, weight loss, fatigueCan lead to bowel perforation, infection, surgery, cancer, and death
IBSBenignSymptoms: pain plus constipation and/or diarrheaRarely leads to serious complications, surgery, or death
Benign
Symptoms: pain plus constipation and/or diarrhea
Rarely leads to serious complications, surgery, or death
IBDCan be seriousSymptoms: pain, diarrhea, bloody stool, fever, weight loss, fatigueCan lead to bowel perforation, infection, surgery, cancer, and death
Can be serious
Symptoms: pain, diarrhea, bloody stool, fever, weight loss, fatigue
Can lead to bowel perforation, infection, surgery, cancer, and death
How IBS Differs From Other Conditions
Although the diagnosis of IBS requires that there be no visible signs of inflammation, researchers are increasingly finding evidence that inflammation does in fact play a role in the symptoms of IBS.
This inflammation in the cells lining the large intestine is not visible, as is the case with ulcerative colitis, nor can it be seen with a microscope, as is the case with microscopic colitis.
Instead, this inflammation is considered to be low-grade and requires an in-depth examination of tissue to identify its presence.
Researchers are working to discover further information about the role of inflammation to open up the promise of more effective treatment options for IBS.
A Word From Verywell
It’s imperative to monitor the signs and symptoms of IBS or any other digestive disorder you may be struggling with. If you notice any significant changes, talk to your healthcare provider and get tested so you can treat the problem and feel better.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Chira A, Chira RI, Dumitrascu DL.Inflammation as a potential therapeutic target in IBS.In:Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Novel Concepts for Research and Treatment. InTech; 2016. doi:10.5772/66193.Lynch WD, Hsu R.Ulcerative Colitis. In:StatPearls[Internet].Gentile N, Yen EF.Prevalence, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of microscopic colitis.Gut Liver. 2018;12(3):227–235. doi:10.5009/gnl17061Ingle SB, Adgaonkar BD, Ingle CR.Microscopic colitis: Common cause of unexplained nonbloody diarrhea.World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. 2014;5(1):48–53. doi:10.4291/wjgp.v5.i1.48Azer SA, Tuma F.Infectious colitis. In:StatPearls[Internet].Papaconstantinou HT, Thomas JS.Bacterial colitis.Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2007;20(1):18-27. doi:10.1055/s-2007-970196Additional ReadingKamp EJ, Kane JS, Ford AC.Irritable bowel syndrome and microscopic colitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2016;14(5):659-e55. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2015.09.031National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Ulcerative colitis.Park T, Cave D, Marshall C.Microscopic colitis: A review of etiology, treatment and refractory disease.World J Gastroenterol. 2015;21(29):8804-8810. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i29.8804Porter CK, Cash BD, Pimentel M, Akinseye A, Riddle MS.Risk of inflammatory bowel disease following a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome.BMC Gastroenterol. 2012;12:55. Published 2012 May 28. doi:10.1186/1471-230X-12-55Sinagra E, Pompei G, Tomasello G, et al.Inflammation in irritable bowel syndrome: Myth or new treatment target?World J Gastroenterol. 2016;22(7):2242-2255. doi:10.3748/wjg.v22.i7.2242
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Chira A, Chira RI, Dumitrascu DL.Inflammation as a potential therapeutic target in IBS.In:Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Novel Concepts for Research and Treatment. InTech; 2016. doi:10.5772/66193.Lynch WD, Hsu R.Ulcerative Colitis. In:StatPearls[Internet].Gentile N, Yen EF.Prevalence, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of microscopic colitis.Gut Liver. 2018;12(3):227–235. doi:10.5009/gnl17061Ingle SB, Adgaonkar BD, Ingle CR.Microscopic colitis: Common cause of unexplained nonbloody diarrhea.World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. 2014;5(1):48–53. doi:10.4291/wjgp.v5.i1.48Azer SA, Tuma F.Infectious colitis. In:StatPearls[Internet].Papaconstantinou HT, Thomas JS.Bacterial colitis.Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2007;20(1):18-27. doi:10.1055/s-2007-970196Additional ReadingKamp EJ, Kane JS, Ford AC.Irritable bowel syndrome and microscopic colitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2016;14(5):659-e55. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2015.09.031National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Ulcerative colitis.Park T, Cave D, Marshall C.Microscopic colitis: A review of etiology, treatment and refractory disease.World J Gastroenterol. 2015;21(29):8804-8810. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i29.8804Porter CK, Cash BD, Pimentel M, Akinseye A, Riddle MS.Risk of inflammatory bowel disease following a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome.BMC Gastroenterol. 2012;12:55. Published 2012 May 28. doi:10.1186/1471-230X-12-55Sinagra E, Pompei G, Tomasello G, et al.Inflammation in irritable bowel syndrome: Myth or new treatment target?World J Gastroenterol. 2016;22(7):2242-2255. doi:10.3748/wjg.v22.i7.2242
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Chira A, Chira RI, Dumitrascu DL.Inflammation as a potential therapeutic target in IBS.In:Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Novel Concepts for Research and Treatment. InTech; 2016. doi:10.5772/66193.Lynch WD, Hsu R.Ulcerative Colitis. In:StatPearls[Internet].Gentile N, Yen EF.Prevalence, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of microscopic colitis.Gut Liver. 2018;12(3):227–235. doi:10.5009/gnl17061Ingle SB, Adgaonkar BD, Ingle CR.Microscopic colitis: Common cause of unexplained nonbloody diarrhea.World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. 2014;5(1):48–53. doi:10.4291/wjgp.v5.i1.48Azer SA, Tuma F.Infectious colitis. In:StatPearls[Internet].Papaconstantinou HT, Thomas JS.Bacterial colitis.Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2007;20(1):18-27. doi:10.1055/s-2007-970196
Chira A, Chira RI, Dumitrascu DL.Inflammation as a potential therapeutic target in IBS.In:Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Novel Concepts for Research and Treatment. InTech; 2016. doi:10.5772/66193.
Lynch WD, Hsu R.Ulcerative Colitis. In:StatPearls[Internet].
Gentile N, Yen EF.Prevalence, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of microscopic colitis.Gut Liver. 2018;12(3):227–235. doi:10.5009/gnl17061
Ingle SB, Adgaonkar BD, Ingle CR.Microscopic colitis: Common cause of unexplained nonbloody diarrhea.World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. 2014;5(1):48–53. doi:10.4291/wjgp.v5.i1.48
Azer SA, Tuma F.Infectious colitis. In:StatPearls[Internet].
Papaconstantinou HT, Thomas JS.Bacterial colitis.Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2007;20(1):18-27. doi:10.1055/s-2007-970196
Kamp EJ, Kane JS, Ford AC.Irritable bowel syndrome and microscopic colitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2016;14(5):659-e55. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2015.09.031National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Ulcerative colitis.Park T, Cave D, Marshall C.Microscopic colitis: A review of etiology, treatment and refractory disease.World J Gastroenterol. 2015;21(29):8804-8810. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i29.8804Porter CK, Cash BD, Pimentel M, Akinseye A, Riddle MS.Risk of inflammatory bowel disease following a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome.BMC Gastroenterol. 2012;12:55. Published 2012 May 28. doi:10.1186/1471-230X-12-55Sinagra E, Pompei G, Tomasello G, et al.Inflammation in irritable bowel syndrome: Myth or new treatment target?World J Gastroenterol. 2016;22(7):2242-2255. doi:10.3748/wjg.v22.i7.2242
Kamp EJ, Kane JS, Ford AC.Irritable bowel syndrome and microscopic colitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2016;14(5):659-e55. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2015.09.031
National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Ulcerative colitis.
Park T, Cave D, Marshall C.Microscopic colitis: A review of etiology, treatment and refractory disease.World J Gastroenterol. 2015;21(29):8804-8810. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i29.8804
Porter CK, Cash BD, Pimentel M, Akinseye A, Riddle MS.Risk of inflammatory bowel disease following a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome.BMC Gastroenterol. 2012;12:55. Published 2012 May 28. doi:10.1186/1471-230X-12-55
Sinagra E, Pompei G, Tomasello G, et al.Inflammation in irritable bowel syndrome: Myth or new treatment target?World J Gastroenterol. 2016;22(7):2242-2255. doi:10.3748/wjg.v22.i7.2242
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