Irritable Bowel

Irritable bowel syndrome is something that no one really wants to talk about, but more people need to hear about.

This condition affects an average of 50% of those that visit the gastroenterologist each year.  Even if you haven't gone there yet, it is likely that at some point, you will want to make the journey. 

The condition is one that is likely to cause you a great deal of pain and discomfort.  For that reason, it is imperative to learn all that you can about what irritable bowel syndrome is as well as how it can be relieved.  That's what we aim to do here.  But, before you can find relief from irritable bowel syndrome, you must know what it actually is.

What Is It?

IBS, as it is called for short, is also known as spastic colon.  In this condition, individuals will experience pain in their abdomen.  The pain is due to a disorder of the function of your bowel.  In addition to pain, you may also experience changes in normal bowel habits.

IBS Symptoms

There are many symptoms that can be contributed to that of irritated bowel syndrome.  Learning about these can help you and your doctor to get a start on what's wrong.  In many cases, IBS symptoms may seem like a normal bowel, but in fact there could be additional problems lurking. 

The most frequent symptoms include:

• Pain in the lower abdomen
• Bloating
• Pain that is relieved by defecation

If you are suffering from any of these conditions, you may want to talk to your doctor, especially if they are recurring. 

The symptoms that you may experience may feel like diarrhea or even constipation.  In some individuals it moves from one extreme to the next. A change in the stool is often a symptom of IBS. 

It is also believed that those that have other conditions are more likely to experience IBS.  Those conditions include chronic fatigue syndrome, stress, chronic pelvic pain and fibromyalgia. 

Some doctors have found that there is a link between irritable bowel syndrome and mental conditions.  They link IBS to having both neurological and psychological components.

In addition to this, conditions can make it worsen.  For example, menstruation usually makes IBS worse or makes the symptoms more pronounced. 

What To Do First

If you believe that you are suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, it is imperative that you work on getting the relief you need.  The first step is to be diagnosed by your doctor. 

Most doctors will be able to provide you with the necessary testing and evaluation.  Your doctor will want to track your bowel movements over a period of time as well as monitor your other conditions during the monitoring. 

There are several things that they will look at.

1. Are you relieved from the pain after defecation?
2. When you feel this way, is there a change in the frequency of your stool?
3. When you are experiencing this pain, is there a change in the form or the way that your stool looks?

Then, they will gauge the differences and answers found with what is considered to be normal against what is not.

• If you have more than three bowel movements per day or you have less than three movements per week, that is considered abnormal.
• If you have hard or lumpy stool or you have a very loose and watery stool that is considered abnormal.
• If you are straining, or you have an urgent need to go or you feel like you can not completely finish, this too is abnormal.
• If there is any sign of mucus, this is abnormal.
• In addition, the feeling of pain in the abdomen or the feeling of being bloated is considered abnormal.

Even through all of this screening, your doctor is likely to do a blood work up on you as part of the process of diagnosis you.

Finally, your doctor will do a thorough examine of you.  The exam will look at your physical conditions and to rule out any other possible findings that may suggest something besides irritable bowel syndrome is to blame for your pain.

When It's Not IBS

Your doctor may actually find that you have symptoms that don't present within irritable bowel syndrome.  These symptoms can include blood within the stool, weight loss, fevers, diarrhea that gets you up at night or pain that gets you up at night.  These considerations indicate that perhaps something else is wrong rather than IBS.

Where The Truth Lies

Unfortunately, there is no known cause for irritable bowel syndrome.  Many that experience it do not know of anyone in their family that has had it.  That could be because it just wasn't something that was discussed or that IBS is not hereditary. 

There are things that are known about IBS, though, that can help you to find the real solution to your pain and discomfort.  We do know a great deal in fact about how IBS affects us and what we can do to help to stop it.