Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) doesn’t include Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (UC), which are considered chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). IBS is an exclusion diagnosis, which in fact, occurs when colonoscopy and biopsy fails to reveal signs of Crohn’s or colitis.

Crohn’s and UC are serious diseases. They often start early in life and are can be connected to emotional stress. Patients with these diseases suffer serious damage to the intestinal wall (mucosa and deeper), leading to bleeding, infections, cramps, and dilation of the bowel.

These patients may even need surgical intervention to protect from perforation, megacolon (an abnormal dilation of the colon), and other life-threatening conditions.

Under no circumstances should IBS be confused with either of these serious chronic diseases