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Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Symptoms
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Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder of the lower digestive tract in which the normal rhythmic movement of the gut (bowel) is disturbed, so the bowel doesn't work as it should. You may have trouble going to the toilet (constipation), or have very loose and urgent bowel motions or stools (diarrhoea). It is very common condition, up to one in 3 people will have IBS symptoms at some time in their life.
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Drugs are an important part of relieving symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Your health care provider can advise you to use fibre supplements or purgatives for constipation or medications to ease loose stool or diarrhea, such as Imodium. An antispasmodic preparation is commonly prescribed, which aids to control alleviate bowel muscle spasms and smooth abdominal pain. Antidepressant drugs may ... ease some IBS symptoms. Nonetheless, both antispasmodics and antidepressants can aggravate constipation, so some physicians also prescribe medicaments that make muscles in the bladder and bowels relax (such as Librax or Donnapine). These drugs have a mild sedative that can be addictive, so they should to be taken only under the control of your doctor.
Irritable bowel syndrome is the most common gastrointestinal diagnosis worldwide, where prevalence in some populations is reported as high as 30%. It is estimated to affect 13% to 20% of Canadians, and is significantly more common in woman than in men. It can be found in children, often is first identified in adolescence and can resolve unexpectedly for periods of time throughout an individuals lifespan, reoccurring at any age. IBS is a chronic, often debilitating, functional gastrointestinal disease with symptoms that include abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel habits such as constipation or diarrhea, or alternating between the two stool consistency extremes.
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Around one in five Australians experiences the unpleasant symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) at some time. These include abdominal pain, mucus in the stools, and alternating diarrhoea and constipation. Other terms for irritable bowel syndrome include ‘spastic colon’ and ‘irritable colon’. It seems that people with IBS have sensitive bowels that are easily ‘upset’. More women than men are prone to IBS, and symptoms tend to first occur in early adulthood.
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As an overview, Irritable bowel syndrome is a common disorder effecting the intestines. The main symptoms of this disorder are abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and urgency with defecation, constipation, or a combination of these problems.
Many people have occasional symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, but you're more likely to have IBS if you're young and female. IBS typically begins around age 20. Overall, two to three times as many women as men have the condition. People with IBS often report that family members ... have the disorder, suggesting a possible genetic cause.
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