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Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Colon
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS is a disorder of the digestive system. It is known by other names: mucous colitis, spastic colon, nervous stomach, IBD; ... IBS is the more familiar name.
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The cause of irritable bowel syndrome is not known. The colon normally contracts in response to eating. With irritable bowel syndrome, the muscles in the colon do not function normally and may spasm. Individuals with IBS may possess a colon that is more sensitive than normal and reacts more strongly to food, medication, and other factors.
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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a somewhat baffling yet common intestinal disorder that affects the colon (the large intestine). The colon's main function is to absorb water and nutrients from partially digested food. Anything that is not absorbed is slowly moved through the colon toward the rectum and out of the body as waste in the form of feces (... called stool).
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It should ... be noted that irritable bowel syndrome is not an inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are characterized by inflammation in the lower digestive tract, including the colon and the small intestine (in Crohn’s).
IBS is known by various other names such as irritable colon, spastic colon, spastic bowel, and functional bowel disease. It is not accurate to use the term colitis when describing IBS. Colitis means there is inflammation in the colon but this is not the case in IBS.
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Some researchers believe IBS is caused by changes in the nerves that control sensation or muscle contractions in the bowel. Others believe the central nervous system may affect the colon. And because women are two to three times as likely as men to have IBS, researchers believe that hormonal changes ... play a role. Also, many women find that signs and symptoms are worse during or around their menstrual periods.
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