Medicine Essays Example

Inflammatory bowel disease is the result of the inflammation and ulceration of the large and small intestines. The inflammation may also extend through all areas of the gut wall. The common symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal pain, sore red eye or arthritis. Inflammatory bowel disease causes blood in the stool along with mucus and pus. Inflammation close to the anus leads to the symptom of tenesmus, which is a continual feeling of having no rush to the lavatory when there is . The inflammation in the small bowel causes poor absorption of the nutrients leading to weight loss. On the other hand, irritable bowel syndrome is not a disease, but a term used to describe the symptoms of poor digestive function. The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome include bloating, abdominal pain, indigestion, constipation, heartburn and gas . The symptoms may range from mild to severe and may be continuous or intermittent.
The similarities between inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome are the patient factors, such as culture and gender. It is evident in the United States that women report the symptoms of diseases approximately four times more often than men. Also, women have more frequent and severe symptoms than men, which affect their routine activities. On the contrary, in most of the Asian countries, the occurrence of the diseases is frequent in men than women. The diseases are more common in western countries than in the developing countries, yet more common in rural Africa when compared to the African cities. Also, the diseases are common among Asian Americans than among white or Hispanic Americans . Another similarity between the two diseases is the cause of immune response, which leads to irritation or inflammation of the intestines.
There are several differences between inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. While irritable bowel syndrome is a functional disorder, inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic disease . Irritable bowel syndrome does not cause any inflammation in the intestine instead causes diarrhea, constipation or a mix of symptoms. Another difference between the two diseases is the quantity of stool produced in the intestine. Also, irritable bowel syndrome exacerbates by stress, which is not the case for inflammatory bowel disease. Irritable bowel syndrome causes other functional disorders, such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and joint disorders . It is not possible to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome with routine tests as the tests return normal; however, stool test helps in the accurate diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease.
The treatment of inflammatory bowel disease includes the administration of corticosteroids, antibiotics, immunosalicylates and immunomodulators . It is important to prevent complications and improve the quality of life of the patients by balancing the efficacy and toxicity of the drugs. On the other hand, the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome includes dietary counseling along with the administration of drugs as a restrictive diet helps to overcome the symptoms. Antispasmodics help to treat the visceral pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome. While the antibiotics help to resist the bacterial overgrowth, antidepressant medications are useful for managing pain and resolving the problems of constipation and diarrhea. Anticholinergic medications help to relieve the spasms that happen in the bowel . However, the patients experience different types of conditions as they go through the irritable bowel syndrome. Hence, it is necessary that the medical practitioner advises treatment based on the individual symptoms of the patients.

References

Cohen, R. D. (2011). Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Diagnosis and Therapeutics. Springer Science & Business Media.
Talley, N. J. (2006). Conquering Irritable Bowel Syndrome. PMPH-USA.