Neville C. W. Smith M.D. Memorial Learning Resource Center: General Education

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)Awareness Month

Symptoms

IBS have different signs and symptoms but are usually present for a long time.

Some common symptoms:

Abdominal pain, cramping or bloating

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20360016

Sever Signs and symptoms:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20360016

Risk Factors

Gender: Women are twice as likely to develop IBS as men, supposedly due to the hormonal changes they undergo during their menstrual cycle.

Smoking: IBS symptoms tend to be worse among people who smoke or those who are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke, with nicotine being the major irritant.

Genetic factors: If IBS runs in your family, you are highly likely to develop it too since it’s often passed on through generations.

Stress: Frequent stress, anxiety, and tension increase your risk of developing IBS and induce flare-ups.

Food intolerance: Any kind of food intolerance or allergy can also lead to the onset of IBS symptoms.

Constipation: Any hindrance in the passage or movement of stools through the digestive tract can set the ground for IBS.

Oversensitivity: People with naturally oversensitive intestines are more prone to IBS.

Altered hormonal regulation: A spike in the estrogen level is associated with increased severity of abdominal pain in patients with IBS.

                 Causes

The precise cause of IBS isn't known. Factors that appear to play a role include:

Muscle contractions in the intestine. The walls of the intestines are lined with layers of muscle that contract as they move food through your digestive tract. Contractions that are stronger and last longer than normal can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea. Weak intestinal contractions can slow food passage and lead to hard, dry stools.

Nervous system. Abnormalities in the nerves in your digestive system may cause you to experience greater than normal discomfort when your abdomen stretches from gas or stool. Poorly coordinated signals between the brain and the intestines can cause your body to overreact to changes that normally occur in the digestive process, resulting in pain, diarrhea or constipation.

Severe infection. IBS can develop after a severe bout of diarrhea (gastroenteritis) caused by bacteria or a virus. IBS might also be associated with a surplus of bacteria in the intestines (bacterial overgrowth).

Early life stress. People exposed to stressful events, especially in childhood, tend to have more symptoms of IBS.

Changes in gut microbes. Examples include changes in bacteria, fungi and viruses, which normally reside in the intestines and play a key role in health. Research

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20360016

Diagnosed

There's no test to definitively diagnose IBS. Your doctor is likely to start with a complete medical history, physical exam and tests to rule out other conditions, such as celiac disease.

After other conditions have been ruled out, your doctor is likely to use one of these sets of diagnostic criteria for IBS:

• Rome criteria. These criteria include abdominal pain and discomfort lasting on average at least one day a week in the last three months, associated with at least two of these factors: Pain and discomfort are related to defecation, the frequency of defecation is altered, or stool consistency is altered.
• Type of IBS. For the purpose of treatment, IBS can be divided into three types, based on your symptoms: constipation-predominant, diarrhea-predominant or mixed.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20360064

• stool studies to check for infection or problems with your intestine's ability to take in the nutrients from food (malabsorption)

For more information Click here.

Types of IBS

1. IBS-C (constipation-predominant)

• The person alternates between constipation and normal stools. Eating may cause abdominal spasms or severe pain.

2. IBS-D (diarrhea-predominant)

• The patient suffers from diarrhea soon after getting up or after he/she eats something. Sometimes, the bowel movement may be involuntary, and the person may need to make frequent urgent visits to the toilet.

3. IBS-A or IBS-M (alternating constipation and diarrhea)

• This is an erratic form of IBS, which is characterized by at least one abnormal bowel movement in a day that may lead to constipation or diarrhea.

Thus, IBS-A is a mixed bad wherein you have not set pattern of bowel activity. Nearly 25% of such IBS episodes result in hard or lumpy stools, while another 25% are accompanied by runny stools.

https://www.emedihealth.com/ibs-symptoms.html

Treatment

Treatment of IBS focuses on relieving symptoms so that you can live as normally as possible.

Mild signs and symptoms can often be controlled by managing stress and by making changes in your diet and lifestyle. Try to:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20360064

Possible Complications

• Patients with IBS who also have hemorrhoids may experience increased pain and discomfort in the rectum or anal region induced by frequent bouts of diarrhea or constipation.
• Prolonged constipation in patients with IBS can result in fecal impaction or progressive hardening of stools that remain stuck in the colon. The longer the stool remains in the colon, the more solidified it becomes. Hardened stools are extremely painful and difficult to pass.
• The persistent or repeated spells of diarrhea drain fluids out of your body and can leave you severely dehydrated.
• Living with IBS symptoms can take a toll on your emotional or mental well-being and pave the way for depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders.
• IBS symptoms can surface at any time or place and send you running to the nearest toilet, thus proving to be quite a handicap when venturing out. This unpredictable condition can hamper your overall quality of life by impeding your daily activities, work, and social life.

https://www.emedihealth.com/ibs-symptoms.html

Fact Sheet

According to the American College of Gastroenterology, IBS is very common in the United States. Around 10%–15% of adults experience IBS symptoms but only 5%–7% have been diagnosed with it. One in five Americans suffers from IBS.

https://www.emedihealth.com/ibs-symptoms.html

When to see a doctor

See your doctor if you have a persistent change in bowel habits or other signs or symptoms of IBS. They may indicate a more serious condition, such as colon cancer.

• Your abdomen is extremely hard or tender to the touch.
• You are experiencing rectal bleeding or bloody diarrhea.
• You are having difficulty breathing or chest pain.
• You are coughing up or vomiting blood.
• You are experiencing severe pain in your neck or between your shoulder blades.
• You are unable to stop vomiting.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/ibs-pain-locations-1945305

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