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Coping With Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Nishant Baxi

Table of Contents

What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?

Who Is At Risk for IBS?

What Are the Symptoms of IBS?

What Causes IBS — Overview of the GI Tract

What Sets Off IBS Flare-ups?

Is IBS a Harbinger of Something Worse?

All About Colonoscopy

Sigmoidoscopy Facts

Enteroscopy

IBS and Prescription Drugs

When Should You See a Doctor?

How Effective Are OTC (over-the-counter) Treatments?

An Ounce of Prevention

Control IBS with Homeopathy

IBS and Diet

IBS in Children

What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?

What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Even though irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders encountered by doctors, a lot of people still do not know much about the illness. This could probably be because it is not given as much attention when compared to other illnesses. It could also be that irritable bowel syndrome itself has not been properly defined and explained to people.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Basic Definition

Irritable bowel syndrome or spastic colon is considered a functional bowel disorder. Two of the most common manifestations of IBS are abdominal pain from cramps and apparent changes in bowel habits. Some of the principal signs of this syndrome are a pain in the lower abdomen and a sensation of being bloated, which are most often relieved by defecating.

Irritable bowel syndrome, statistically speaking, is very common. It makes up 20% to 50% of all gastroenterology cases every year.

Diagnosing Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The cause of irritable bowel syndrome is not that fully known. And because of this, there are no specific laboratory tests that would be able to detect whether a person is positive for irritable bowel syndrome. Its diagnosis consists of different methods, which include observing the signs and symptoms of IBS and then categorizing them accordingly.

Since the signs and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are very general, guidelines for the diagnosis of this syndrome have been set. The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that every other related disease has been ruled out through different tests and examinations.

There have also been cases of misdiagnosis because the etiology of irritable bowel syndrome is not that well defined. Most of the common misdiagnoses for IBS are lactose intolerance, celiac disease, and other infectious diseases.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Etiology

The etiology of irritable bowel syndrome has had its fair share of discussions in the medical world. Until today, its etiology still is not that well established.

In the 1950s, there was a medical journal that tackled irritable bowel. In this study, a patient is categorized as having irritable bowel if he or she is experiencing diarrhea, constipation, or abdominal pain. Unfortunately, doctors and other researchers found no infective agent that may cause these symptoms. Because of this fact, most of them theorized that having an irritable bowel means having a mental disorder.

At that time, IBS was considered a psychosomatic illness. In the early 1980s, another publication stated that it would be beneficial for patients with irritable bowel syndrome to undergo psychotherapy.

Another angle from which the medical world sees the etiology of IBS is through the body’s immune system. In the 1990s, research publications came out with information stating that there are indeed biochemical changes in the body of a person with irritable bowel syndrome. This has been evident through tests like serum samples and biopsies of tissues. This new information led to another belief that IBS has an organic cause as opposed to the old theory that its cause is psychosomatic.

In the course of this study, different changes in the body were noted through a battery of tests on the immune system. The results of these tests were quite significant for them to believe that the immune system indeed plays a role in the development of irritable bowel syndrome.

Last, but not least, there is a discussion that irritable bowel syndrome can be caused by an infectious agent. Recent studies show that symptoms can be relieved by the antibiotic, Rifaximin.

Since this has been a very strong angle in the quest to know more about the etiology of IBS, many researchers are tackling this side of the square. Most of the partial results of the research point to a single-celled organism as the causative agent of irritable bowel syndrome. These results, however, have not yet been fully accepted and established.

Even today, research on irritable bowel syndrome continues. It shouldn’t be long until these diligent researchers will be able to find the answer to this question of etiology and thus will make it easier to combat irritable bowel syndrome.

Who Is At Risk for IBS?

At-Risk for IBS

There are many gastroenterological diseases and one of the most common is irritable bowel syndrome, more commonly called IBS.

Just like every other disease, it is safe to assume that certain people are more susceptible to irritable bowel syndrome than others. They are the ones who are called at «high risk for irritable bowel syndrome.»

There are certain factors to consider before you can call anyone «at risk for irritable bowel syndrome» or «high risk for irritable bowel syndrome.» Knowing these factors can be very helpful in the early detection of IBS.

Know Your Enemy: Defining Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Currently, there is no well-established etiology of irritable bowel syndrome. Since the etiology is not that established, diagnosis of IBS can also be quite difficult. There are no known specific laboratory tests that can single-handedly point to irritable bowel syndrome as the condition of the patient. Another difficulty in diagnosing IBS is that its signs and symptoms are more or less the same as other gastroenterological diseases. Because of this predicament, a set of guidelines has been created to help diagnose irritable bowel syndrome.

Risk Factors Considered For Irritable Bowel Syndrome

You have learned that the cause of irritable bowel syndrome is not yet fully known, but certain factors may precipitate some people being more vulnerable to IBS than others.

• A factor that you would most likely consider first is the sex of the person. It has been known that 80% of all people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome are women. Just like the syndrome’s etiology, it is not known why this is the case. Some researchers suspect that this could be an effect of the changes in the hormones of a woman during her menstrual cycle.

• Age is another risk factor that can be considered in IBS. Although anybody at any age can be affected by irritable bowel syndrome, there is a certain age group whose members are more susceptible compared to the members of other age groups. The range of this age group is 13 years old to 40 years old. It has also been observed that people over 50 years old are the least susceptible to this syndrome.

• Another risk factor for irritable bowel syndrome is stress. Some studies do show that IBS can be caused by stress or some psychiatric disorder. This can be anything from the stress of work and everyday life or a very traumatic incident. It is also believed that signs and symptoms of IBS can be relieved by therapy.

• Diet and eating habits are other risk factors. They may not directly cause irritable bowel syndrome but a bad diet plus poor eating habits could easily affect your digestive system which may in turn help develop the syndrome.

If you are at risk for IBS and you think that you have been affected, it would be best to consult your doctor right away.

Irritable bowel syndrome has no known well-established etiology. Different risk factors could categorize a person as somebody who is at risk for IBS. If this is the case and you are experiencing signs & symptoms of IBS, have a medical checkup right away to promote early detection and prevention.

What Are the Symptoms of IBS?

What Are the Symptoms of IBS?

Irritable bowel syndrome spares no one. It can affect your infant child or your 92-year-old grandpa. It can affect your father or your mother, your brother or your sister. IBS is not racist; it can affect an Asian as well as it can affect a Caucasian. It could even affect you. It chooses nobody.

Given that this is the case with irritable bowel syndrome, knowing its symptoms is the first step for you and your family. It can aid you in the early detection of IBS as well as its early treatment.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

As we have discussed, simply put, irritable bowel syndrome is a functional bowel disorder. Its causes are not yet known — it could be from a psychosomatic disorder to an immune system disorder or an infectious agent. Some studies show diet, eating habits, stress, and psychological well-being also contribute to the development of IBS.

Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome varies from person to person. This is mostly because treatment consists only of relieving the symptoms of the syndrome. Some of the treatment includes therapy for stress and psychologically induced IBS and taking off different medication related to symptoms.

Symptoms Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

There are several symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Here is a list:

1) Abdominal Cramps — painful muscular contractions in the abdomen.

2) Flatulence — gas released from the anus

3) Diarrhea — consistent passage of soft to watery stools in short intervals.

4) Abdominal Discomfort — the feeling of discomfort in the abdominal area.

5) Abdominal Pain — the sensation of pain in the abdominal area.

6) Belching / Burping — production and release of gas in the oral area.

7) Abdominal Swelling — bloating of the abdomen.

8) Hard Stool — also known as constipation is a stool that is usually dry and hard.

9) Stool With Mucus — the presence of mucus in the stool.

10) Headache — the sensation of pain occurring in the head area.

11) Weight Loss — weight loss in IBS can be an effect of losing appetite.

12) Haggard Looking — the look of exhaustion is eminent on the person.

13) Nausea — an uneasy feeling

14) Difficulty In Swallowing

15) Chest Pain

16) Bowel Movements

These are the common symptoms present in irritable bowel syndrome. The most common symptoms that people experience are abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, and a sudden change in the bowel movement pattern. When this happens to you then you may have irritable bowel syndrome or another gastroenterological disease.

Since the etiology of IBS is unknown, there is no specific laboratory test that can detect it. Diagnosis can sometimes really become very difficult. A battery of tests is done to be able to rule out other possibilities of gastroenterological disease. Signs and symptoms manifested by the patients are also very vital in its detection.

The problem with this is that most, if not all of these symptoms are present in other gastric-related diseases. This again becomes a painful task of categorizing signs and symptoms just to make sure that it is irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Is It Fatal?

Irritable bowel syndrome is not fatal. The most that it can do to a person is let him or her experience severe pain in the abdominal area. If experiencing severe diarrhea or constipation, can lead to hemorrhoids. But even if it is not fatal, irritable bowel syndrome should not be taken lightly. There is a possibility that the signs and symptoms are indications of something more than IBS.