Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a disorder that is characteristic of abdominal pain, cramping, changes in bowel movements and other symptoms. It is sometimes referred to as spastic colon, irritable colon and leaky gut. IBS is not the same as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In IBS, the bowel is normal unlike in IBD. IBS is a condition of nerve hypersensitivity, altered pain perception and changes in intestinal bacteria when compared to people without IBS. Psychological factors also play a role in this syndrome including trauma, stress, anxiety and depression.
IBS can occur at any age, but it often begins in the teen years or early adulthood. It is twice as common in women as in men. About 1 in 6 people in the U.S. have symptoms of IBS. It is one of the most common intestinal problems that causes patients to be referred to a bowel specialist (gastroenterologist). Symptoms should be properly worked up by a gastroenterologist for other possible causes before assuming IBS is the cause of one's symptoms.
Symptoms range from mild to severe. Most people have mild symptoms. Symptoms are different from person to person. The main symptoms of IBS are abdominal pain, fullness, gas and bloating that have been present for at least 3 days a month for the last 3 months. The pain and other symptoms will often be reduced or go away after a bowel movement, or occur when there is a change in how often you have bowel movements. People with IBS may switch between constipation and diarrhea, or mostly have one or the other.
People with diarrhea will have frequent, loose, watery stools. They will often have an urgent need to have a bowel movement, which may be hard to control. Those with constipation will have a hard time passing stool, as well as fewer bowel movements. They will often need to strain and will feel cramps with a bowel movement. Often, they do not release any stool, or only a small amount.
The mainstay of treatment for IBS is assuring no other disease is driving symptoms and then managing symptoms from various angles including diet modification, gut microbiome, non-medicinal therapies, medicinal therapies and mental health.