Danger level: Low

What is it?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic condition of the digestive system causing pain and a change in bowel habits.

Who gets it?

It’s estimated that as much as 10-20% of the population in the US suffer from IBS.

Women are 2-3 times more likely to develop IBS than men in Western countries. In the Indian subcontinent, on the other hand, 70-80% of sufferers are men.

The condition starts before age 35 in about 50% of people.

If you have someone in your close family (parents, siblings) with IBS, you may have a higher chance of developing it yourself.

What causes it?

The reason behind IBS isn’t known yet, although there are many theories.

The symptoms of IBS (which we will discuss next) are caused by changes in our bowel habits. Our intestines move the food we eat along the gastrointestinal tract by contraction and relaxation of muscles in the intestines’ walls.

In IBS, these contractions may be stronger and longer, leading to food passing more quickly than normal in the intestines. This can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea. In other people, contractions may be weaker, causing the stools to stay longer in the intestines, making them hard and dry. This may lead to constipation.

The intestines. For some people, they just don’t work the way they’re supposed to. Photo by Curious Expeditions. 

People with IBS have a sensitivity to certain triggers which other people don’t respond to. For example -

1. Foods: Some foods worsen the symptoms in some IBS patients. Examples of such foods include chocolate, milk and alcohol. Also carbonated beverages and some fruits and vegetables may cause discomfort.
2. Stress: Stressful events may aggravate the symptoms.

How does it feel?

1. Abdominal pain – The pain is usually crampy and located in the lower left abdomen. Sometimes, as mentioned above, stress and eating may worsen the pain. Going to the toilet may relieve the pain.

   
   Abdominal pain is the most common symptom of IBS. Photo by Peter Gerdes.

2. Changes in bowel habits – This can include diarrhea, constipation, or an alternation between the two. The diarrhea usually happens during the daytime, most often in the mornings or after meals. People often feel they just have to run to the toilet, and after emptying they often feel not completely emptied. The constipation can last from days to months.
3. Other symptoms – These can include bloating, gas, belching, heartburn, difficulty swallowing, an early feeling of fullness with eating, and nausea.

How is it discovered?

There are no specific tests which can be done to determine if you have IBS. Instead, there are some criteria, called the Rome 3 diagnostic criteria for IBS, which may help the doctor (and you) determine if you have IBS.

The criteria say that if you have abdominal pain or discomfort that lasts for at least 3 days per month in the last 3 months which are associated with either:

- Improvement with defecation

- It started with a change in bowel frequency

- It started with  a change in the appearance of stools

Then you may have IBS.

IBS isn’t a life threatening disorder, but other diseases that may be life threatening may show up with the same symptoms. This is why the doctor may perform tests to rule out other conditions before deciding you have IBS.

How is it treated?

There is really no cure for IBS, so treatment is usually a long term process. Treatment includes:

1. Monitoring symptoms – This helps to identify which things cause you to feel worse so that you may avoid them. It can be done with a daily diary.
2. Diet changes – Eliminating foods that may worsen your symptoms is part of the treatment. It shouldn’t be done without a doctor’s consultation, though. This may include lowering your daily intake of dairy products, eating less foods that may cause gas, eating foods which may be easier to digest, and increasing your dietary fiber.
3. Psychosocial therapy – Since stress and anxiety may worsen the disease for some people, learning to deal with them may ease the disease.
4. Medications – None of those cure the disease, but may help with the symptoms. Consult your doctor for info about those.

What happens after treatment?

Although IBS can cause substantial physical discomfort and emotional distress, the condition isn’t life threatening. Most people with the condition learn to control their symptoms with time.

The bottom line – How do I avoid it?

There is no known way to prevent IBS, since no one really knows what causes it. If you do have the condition, dealing with stress and eating a proper diet may help to avoid its symptoms.

This video showcases a personal story of IBS, as seen on the Discovery Channel:

Do you suffer from IBS or know someone who does? Share your story in the comments below.

What next?

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