The healthy gastrointestinal tract produces anywhere between 3 bowel movements a day to 3 per week. While the majority of people experience constipation, diarrhea, bloating and gas at one point or another, about 20 % of the general population experiences these symptoms frequently and over a prolonged period of time. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a disorder characterized by changes in bowel movements such as constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain without detectable structural abnormalities.

There are different types of IBS:

• IBS-D: IBS With Diarrhea is characterized by frequent loose stools and abdominal pain and the urgent need to move bowels.
• IBS-C: IBS With Constipation is characterized by difficulty having bowel movements and the frequent urge to defecate but the inability to do so.
• IBS-M: IBS Mixed have symptoms of both IBS-D and IBS-C.

IBS is a worldwide problem and can affect all genders, ethnic groups, and ages. Most new patients present with this disorder before the age of 45. IBS is considered to be the most common cause of referrals to GI physicians and can lead to frequent and excessive absences from school or work. Although IBS may impair quality of life, there are various effective ways to manage symptoms, whether it be through diet, stress management, or medications prescribed by a doctor.

Causes

IBS comes from a mix of hypersensitive nerve endings in the intestine, abnormal contraction patterns, and brain center feedback on how the gut works. There are factors related to past infections, such as, very subtle ongoing inflammation, possible altered “barrier function” (the “leaky gut” idea, whereby certain substances normally not absorbed in health can be absorbed and trigger subtle immune or inflammatory or other nerve-mediated function changes), and other aspects clearly related to stress. The result is a variety of chronic symptoms, food sensitivities, and bowel function changes. The role of abnormal amounts of bacteria in the small intestine is sometimes major. (See IBS and SIBO)

Signs & Symptoms

Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome include the following.

• Changes in bowel movement patterns—diarrhea or constipation, sometimes both, often feelings of incomplete evacuation.
• Bloating and excess gas, often the most annoying symptom.
• Pain, mostly in the lower abdomen but sometimes other locations including back.
• Mucus in stools, without bleeding – unless bleeding is due to hemorrhoids or other causes

Irritable Bowel Syndrome can cause a lot of distress, discomfort, and interference with daily activities, however, it does not cause any internal harm, no matter how often or how long symptoms act up.