Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Your digestive tract is impacted by a collection of symptoms known as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is a gastrointestinal ailment, or condition that affects your intestines, that is common but bothersome.

Abdominal pain and cramping are among the symptoms that people with IBS encounter. Constipation, diarrhea, or both on a regular basis can also be symptoms of IBS. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) does not lead to gastrointestinal tract tissue damage or raise the risk of more serious illnesses like colon cancer. Rather, it’s a chronic (long-term) illness that most people can control with medicine, behavioral treatment, and dietary and routine adjustments.

Which kinds of IBS exist?

Based on the appearance of your feces (poop) on days when your symptoms flare up, researchers classify IBS patients. The majority of IBS sufferers experience irregular bowel movements occasionally and regular ones on other days. The odd days characterize the type of IBS you have.

• Most of your stool is lumpy and hard if you have IBS with constipation (IBS-C).
• Most of your feces are loose and watery if you have IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D).
• You have both loose and watery and firm, lumpy bowel movements if you have IBS with mixed bowel habits (IBS-M).

The variations hold significance. Some IBS types respond better to some treatments than others.

Signs and Origins

What IBS symptoms are present?

IBS symptoms can recur often. They might also happen during flare-ups. To put it another way, symptoms are not always present. Rather, the symptoms can disappear and your bowel movements will return to normal. Other times, the symptoms come back.

IBS symptoms and indicators include:

• Abdominal pain or cramping, typically associated with the need to go to the bathroom.
• Bloating and excessive gas.
• Constipation, diarrhea, or alternating episodes of both.
• Poop mucus (may appear yellowish).
• Feeling that after you poop, you can’t get rid of your waste.

Why do IBS cases occur?

Although the precise etiology of IBS is unknown, doctors categorize it as a neurogastrointestinal (GI) illness. These illnesses, commonly referred to as disorders of the gut-brain interface, are caused by dysfunctions in the way your brain and stomach work together to support the proper functioning of your digestive system.

Difficulties in gut-brain communication can lead to:

Dysmotility: Issues with the contraction of your GI muscles and the passage of food through your GI tract may arise. Those who have IBS often have increased contractions in the colon (large intestine) muscle. Pain and cramps are caused by these contractions.

Visceral hypersensitivity: The nerves in your gastrointestinal tract may be extremely sensitive. Individuals with IBS typically have a lower pain threshold than those without it. Abdominal pain or discomfort may trigger extreme sensitivity in your digestive tract.

Diagnoses and Examinations

How is the diagnosis of IBS made?

An extensive medical history is the first step in the diagnosis of IBS. Your doctor will inquire about your ailments. They might inquire:

• Do you have pain when you go to the bathroom?
• Has the frequency of your bowel movements changed?
• Has the appearance of your poop changed?
• What’s the frequency of your symptoms?
• What time did your symptoms begin?
• Which medications do you take?
• Have you recently had a traumatic event or been ill?

To confirm a diagnosis, you might require more testing, depending on your symptoms. IBS cannot be diagnosed with a single test. Rather, the way your provider will find out if you have IBS is:

• Enquiring about your medical conditions.
• Confirming that your colon cancer screening is current.
• Making sure you don’t have any symptoms that could point to another illness.

Laboratory examinations

The majority of lab tests rule out other illnesses that could be the source of your symptoms, such as food allergies, infections, or disorders of the digestive system like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Different people require different examinations.

Blood test: To rule out digestive diseases or other conditions that could be the source of your symptoms.
Stool test: To look for indications of intestinal inflammation brought on by an illness of the digestive system or an infection.
Hydrogen breath test: Take a hydrogen breath test to determine whether you have a food intolerance or a SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).