Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel Syndrome or IBS is the most common gastrointestinal disorder seen by doctors. It is a functional bowel disorder which is characterized by mild to severe discomfort such as abdominal pain, bloating, cramps and alteration of bowel habits. In some casesbowel movements might relieve these symptoms.
Diarrhea or constipation may predominate IBS, or in some cases they may alternate (IBS can be classified as IBS-D, IBS-C or IBS-A, respectively). It may also begin after having an infection (post-infectious, IBS-PI) or after a stressful event in ones life.
It is the colon, or large bowel, which is the part of the digestive tract that stores stool, that is affected by IBS. It appears that the nerves and muscles in the bowel are extra sensitive in people with IBS. Muscles may happen to contract too much when eating and these contractions cause cramping and diarrhea during or shortly after a meal. It can also be that the nerves react when the bowel stretches, which then cause cramping or pain.
Although IBS can be painful, it does not damage the colon or other parts of the digestive system and it doesn't lead to other health related problems. It I also important to note that IBS is not a disease rather it's a functional disorder where the bowel doesn't work, or function, correctly.
For years, Irritable Bowel Syndrome was thought to be a psychological condition, rather than a physical one but the discomfort and inconvenience that result from the pain that it brings are very real.
There are several medical conditions, or comorbidities that researchers have identified that appear in greater frequency in patients diagnosed with IBS and these are headache, fibromyalgia, and depression.
IBS is the second most common cause of why an individual may miss work, common cold being the first reason. Also, the onset of IBS is usually in late adolescence or early adult life and it rarely appears for the first time after age 50.
To diagnose IBS, physical exam and blood tests are done along with the following tests:
- Lower gastrointestinal (GI) series. This test uses x rays in diagnosing problems in the large intestine and is also called as barium enema x ray. Before having the x ray, a barium (a thick liquid that makes the intestines show up better on x ray) will be placed into the large intestine through the anus (the opening where stool leaves the body).
- Colonoscopy. For this test a long, thin tube, called a colonoscope, is inserted into the anus and up into the colon. The tube has a light and tiny lens on the end which enables the doctor to view the inside of the colon on a big television screen.
By: Daniel77
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Recommended Resources:
The Ohio State University Medical Center
University of Wisconsin - School of Medicine and Public Health
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