It can be extremely stressful and burdensome when your body isn’t working properly. Chronic conditions can impact your relationships, lifestyle and ability to work. Unfortunately, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and interstitial cystitis (IC) are two common problems that are embarrassing, painful and can inhibit daily activities.
IBS affects the large intestine and causes stomach cramping, abdominal pain, gas and bloating, diarrhea (IBS-D), constipation (IBS-C) or both diarrhea and constipation. Studies have shown that 10% to 25% of the population suffers from IBS, but it’s estimated that only 30% of patients actually see a doctor to get help (so the numbers may be much higher).
IC is a condition that involves bladder pressure, bladder pain and sometimes pelvic pain and may impact 4 to 12 million people in the United States. This problem is also called painful bladder syndrome (PBS), bladder pain syndrome (BPS) or chronic pelvic pain. IC is usually diagnosed when bladder infections, urinary tract infections and kidneys stones have been eliminated as the causes of pelvic pain.
While these are two separate conditions, they have many similarities in how they affect the body. Both IBS and IC:
If you are suffering from abdominal pain and aren’t quite sure if you have IBS, IC or both illnesses, here are some distinct differences to look for:
Unfortunately, many times these two life-altering conditions coincide. While researchers don’t completely understand how these two disorders are connected, they believe that there is an overlap in the inflammatory processes involving the the nerves of the bladder and the bowel.
If you have either IBS or IC, there are several things that you can do to reduce your symptoms. First of all, you might want to create a food journal to see what types of foods cause your condition to worsen. Secondly, both of these problems are exacerbated by stress and tension. Yoga, meditation and other relaxation techniques may soothe your abdominal cramping and bladder problems. Finally, talk to your doctor about your symptoms and concerns. He or she can help you to determine additional ways to help manage your IBS or IC so that you can take control of your life again.
