Celiac Disease vs. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Generally, whenever someone tells you their story about being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, it is very common for people to say that they were originally incorrectly diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which is commonly referred to as IBS.  This is because IBS is considered to be the most common disorder with close to 20% of Americans believed to have some form of it.

Unfortunately, the treatments are different and when someone with Celiac Disease is incorrectly diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome their symptoms do not typically get better.   Sometimes it can take years before a correct diagnosis is eventually made.

So what is the difference between Celiac Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease, where the immune system attacks gluten in the digestive system, damaging the tissue of the intestines at the same time. Individuals with Celiac Disease are genetically predisposed to the disease but can develop it at any age. It can often be triggered by a stressful event such as surgery or pregnancy.

The causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, on the other hand, are not well understood. Many believe it originates in the central nervous system with changes in the nerves that control sensation or muscle contractions in the bowel. The walls of the bowels or intestines, which usually contract rhythmically to allow food to pass through, start to contract irregularly, meaning that food is pushed through too quickly or too slowly. Because IBS tends to affect women more than men, hormone changes are also often thought to play a role in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

The triggers for IBS and Celiac Disease often appear to be similar. IBS can be triggered by stress or a particular illness such as gastroenteritis in the same way as Celiac Disease. IBS can also be triggered by eating certain types of food that the body is intolerant to, including foods that contain gluten, but gluten does not cause the symptoms of IBS as it does with Celiac Disease, it only aggravates them. With IBS, the immune system does not produce antibodies to fight the food that is aggravating the condition.

The Long-Term Effects of Celiac Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The crucial difference between Celiac Disease and IBS is that with Celiac Disease the gut is actually damaged by the gluten-fighting antibodies, leading to long-term complications, whereas with IBS, although the gut may be inflamed, no long-term damage is done.

The effects of IBS are likely to be more emotional than physical as people find it hard to lead a normal, happy life while experiencing IBS symptoms. The complications associated with Celiac Disease can be as severe as malnutrition, osteoporosis, and possibly bowel cancer, although the link between these two diseases is often contested.

The moral of the story is if you have IBS get a blood test to rule out Celiac Disease. You don’t want to do a bunch of severe damage to your body if you can help it, and it can easily be avoided with a simple blood test!