Infuse Issue 15 February 2022 | Page 20

Irritable bowel syndrome vs . inflammatory bowel disease : What ’ s the difference ?

by Nicole Dynan
Irritable bowel syndrome ( IBS ) is very common , impacting around one in seven people at some time in their life . IBS does not damage the bowel , cause inflammation or lead to other health problems , but the gut does not work as it should . IBS affects the colon or large intestine , and may be classified as :
1 . Constipation-predominant ( IBS-C ) 2 . Diarrhoea-predominant ( IBS-D ) 3 . A mixture of both ( IBS-M )
Tests for IBS used to be exhaustive and based on exclusion of other bowel conditions , but screening for coeliac disease is now the only essential test due to the overlap in symptoms .
© Dietitian Connection 20 Infuse | February 2022