A new study shows the cause of your worries anxiety attacks mood swings depression and other emotional conditions could be directly linked with two serious digestive diseases. New studies link Crohns disease and ulcerative colitiscollectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)with increased risk of depression and other mental disorders.
Researchers from the University of Manitoba in Canada conducted the Manitoba IBD Cohort Study on two groups of patientsthose suffering from IBD and those who did not.
The results? Lead researcher Charles N. Bernstein, M.D., and colleagues established that the IBD patients had higher rates of panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and nearly double the rate of major depression.
These results were published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Almost one-third of those who had an anxiety disorder or mood disorder had new [symptoms] around the time of IBD diagnosis, Bernstein said in a Reuters health report. This needs to be addressed with all patients.
Besides the emotional and mental side effects, physical symptoms associated with IBD include:
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Persistent diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Rectal bleeding
- Plus eye irritations, anemia, fever, skin irritations, weight loss and MORE!
Although the two diseasesCrohns and colitishave similar symptoms, treatment can vary widely based on the severity of symptoms. The symptoms could also be a sign of a lesser condition, known as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Its recommended you speak with your healthcare provider, and a colonoscopy or other tests may be necessary to determine to the best course of action.
In terms of the link between IBD and depression, Bernstein added, We are going to continue to explore the interplay between anxiety, mood disorders and stress and their impact on IBD incidence and flare of IBD once diagnosed.