Digestive Disorders

Use resource less than 5years old
*Reflect on how the factor of gender might impact the pathophysiology of and treatments
for inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
*Write an explanation of the pathophysiological mechanisms of inflammatory bowel
disorder and irritable bowel syndrome, including similarities and differences. Then
describe common treatments, addressing whether treatments for one disorder would work
for the other disorder. Finally, explain how the patient factor of gender might impact the
pathophysiology of and treatments for each disorder.

Digestive Disorders

These two digestive disorders; irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel
disorder share some of the symptoms that are associated with abdominal discomfort and pain
(Taft, 2010). Irritable bowel syndrome is also referred to as functional bowel disorder and is
characterized by a number of symptoms in the absence of detectable structural abnormalities
while on the other hand, inflammatory bowel diseases have heterogeneous groups of disorders
that are characterized by various forms of transmural inflation and or chronic mucosal of the
intestine (Taft, 2010). The shared pathophysiological mechanism in both of these disorders
included altered interaction of luminal flora in the mucosal immune system, altered mucosal
permeability, persistent mucosal immune activation, sustained life stressors in symptom
modulation, alterations in the gut mortality and persistent mucosal immune activation.
The common treatments recommended for the disorders include; therapeutic approaches
such as antibiotics, probiotics, and anti-inflammatory agents. These treatments are recommended
in both disorders (Taft, 2010). However, some of these treatments are not effective among
patients that suffer from these disorders. Certain food products and beverages such as milk
induce irritable bowel syndrome and milk containing products, fruits, spices diet foods and
beverages, fast food among others cause irritable bowel syndrome and therefore should be taken
in the recommended amounts.

DIGESTIVE DISORDERS 2
Gender factors play a role in the pathophysiology treatment in both of these disorders.
High numbers of women seek treatment for irritable bowel syndrome compared to men. It is
reported that most women suffer from this disorder compared to women (Taft, 2010). Another
reason for a high level of women that come out to seek for medical treatment is that the women
rate of response to pain is higher compared to that of men. Likewise, treatment of inflammatory
bowel disorders between the genders vary with a high number of women seeking medical
attention compared to men.

DIGESTIVE DISORDERS 3

Reference

Taft, T. (2010). Perceptions of illness stigma in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and
irritable bowel syndrome, Quality of Life Research, 20(9): 1391-1399.