Are you losing weight fast, are you having digestive problems but don't know what's wrong, or is your medical treatment not working? You could be suffering from inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome, two very different conditions that can be confused. We'll show you the differences.

The Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) includes the following diseases Crohn's diseases and the ulcerative colitis. Both are autoimmune diseases characterised by a disruption of the body's ability to digest food and absorb nutrients, with symptoms occurring in alternating, seasonal patterns.

The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional digestive disorder characterised in particular by variability in bowel movements.. Its causes are not clear but it is believed that there are problems with the gut-brain relationship, as SIIS is related to difficult and traumatic events in childhood and psychological problems such as anxiety and depression. On the other hand, a bacterial infection or food intolerance could also be causing this pathology.

Why can IBD and IBS be confused?

There are a number of criteria that make differentiated diagnosis difficultHowever, as we always say, a good knowledge of the patient's clinical history and genetic or environmental aspects can help us to make an effective diagnosis.

• Both diseases, IBD and IBS, manifest themselves with similar symptoms: diarrhoea and variation in bowel movements and abdominal pain. It is precisely the differential symptoms that a specialist must look at when making a diagnosis. For example, weight loss is a symptom that can lead from a diagnosis of IBS to IBD, as well as anaemia, blood in the stool, fever or joint pain.

• It is not uncommon to find overlapping symptoms of both diseases. In other words, the two diseases coexist but must be treated in different ways, especially if we look at the causes of the diseases rather than their symptoms.

In this regard, it is particularly important that very specific tests such as the Biosalud Analysis. From the point of view of the biological medicineWe try to find the cause of diseases with a set of tests that can be very broad and that allows us, in the treatment, to apply therapies that act on all the aspects that are influencing the disease.

• There is a genetic basis which may be common to both diseases.

• In both cases, a Acute gastronteritis may trigger the disease.

• IBS, like IBD, can present with inflammation of the tissues of the body. - more typical of an autoimmune disease - . As stated in the report "Is there a connection between inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome" by Dr. A. Viejo - Almanzor, "an increase of inflammatory cells in the intestinal mucosa of IBS patients has been demonstrated and, more specifically, an increase of mast cells in jejunum and colon and of CD3 and CD25 intraepithelial lymphocytes in colon has been found. In addition, an increase in activated mast cells in the vicinity of nerve endings has been observed in IBS patients".

On the other hand, there are some fundamental differences between the two diseases. The first is the autoimmune quality of IBD, which, on the other hand, can trigger more severe symptoms and complications than IBS. Diet and lifestyle changes may play a role in IBS, but not in IBD, where treatment is much more complex and is based on reducing inflammation in the digestive tract.

Nutrition as the basis of treatment for both diseases

At Biosalud we defend the personalisation of treatments, and this implies the design of a personalised diet for each case. With IBS and IBD, following the diet at home is a very demanding part of the treatment for the patient, but it is worth it because it is essential to regain quality of life.

In general, we recommend the implementation of physical exercise, stress management and regular mealtimes. and times to go to the toilet. In addition, identifying food sensitivities or intolerances is essential.

• With IBS, we should moderate insoluble fibre intake (wholemeal flours, spinach, lettuce, broccoli....) and increase soluble fibre intake (oats, barley, apples, carrots, pulses or citrus fruits) with food and food supplements. In addition, hydration should be improved by drinking water and herbal teas. Irritating" foods such as gas, spicy foods, coffee and tea should be eliminated from the diet.

• In the case of IBD (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), although a total food restriction diet is not highly recommended, Avoid anything that increases inflammationsuch as sugar, refined foods or alcohol. On the other hand, we can increase consumption of easily digestible foods such as cereals with no added sugars and not whole grains, potatoes, eggs and lean meats, pulses and vegetables, and plant-based rice or oat drinks.

The way food is cooked is important, the simpler the better (steam, oven, papillote, grill or soft stews).

 Crohn's disease and cancer

The eCrohn's disease is a risk factor for cancerespecially adenocarcinoma of the small intestine. But it is not only tumours that are linked to this pathology, but also drugs used for the treatment of Crohn's disease and inflammatory bowel disease, such as thiopurines, which increase the risk of lymphoma by four to five times.

On the other hand, When Crohn's disease affects the lower large intestine, the colon, the risk of colon cancer increases.. It is therefore advisable to have a colonoscopy - the most effective technique for detecting colon cancer - annually or every two years. In this way, it is possible to detect areas of dysplasia, prior to the appearance of cancer cells, and to prevent the onset of cancer in time.