Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is painful, uncomfortable, unpredictable and embarrassing, and it can ruin every aspect of your life. Don’t suffer in silence!

IBS is far more common than people believe – it affects at least 10 percent of people, and an estimated 9 million people in the UK will suffer from IBS at one stage in their lives.

What is IBS?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a chronic bowel disorder that causes stomach discomfort or pain, embarrassing side effects like gas and usually problems with bowel movements too – meaning sufferers also experience constipation, diarrhoea or repeatedly experience altering periods of diarrhoea, followed by constipation.

It often affects people in their 20s and 30s, (it’s twice as common in women as it is in men) and is sometimes referred as spastic colon, spastic colitis, mucous colitis, nervous diarrhoea or nervous colon, some of which misrepresent the condition.

IBS is estimated to affect between 10 and 20 per cent of people, but the real figures could be even higher, since many people with IBS symptoms are too embarrassed or misinformed to seek medical advice or treatment.

Symptoms are often unpredictable and may disrupt all aspects of a sufferer’s life.

What are the Symptoms?

Symptoms may persist for a long time or happen in shorter periods, but on average they occur for at least one week of each month and never completely disappear. They may be mild, but more often symptoms are severe and so unpredictable that they can be extremely embarrassing and place a heavy strain on all aspects of your life. If you have stomach pain or discomfort, along with one or more of the following symptoms, then you may have IBS:

• Recurrent diarrhoea
• Recurrent constipation
• Alternating diarrhoea and constipation
• Bloating
• Excessive gas
• Loud stomach rumbling and squeaking noises
• Feeling full or even nauseous all of the time
• Bowel urgency or straining
• Bowels still feeling full after a bowel movement
• Mucus in stool
• Bowel incontinence (not being able to control it)
• Headaches, tiredness, anxiety and depression
• Burping, bad breath
• Abnormal bowel frequency (more that 3 a day or less than three a week)

What are the Causes?

The exact cause of IBS is unknown, but it probably stems from problems in the colon muscles and may be worsened by psychological factors like stress or anxiety. It is sometimes triggered by eating certain foods or even just simply eating, and is sometimes relieved by going to the toilet.

How do you know it’s not something else?

One common concern of patients with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome is that they have "something else." There is no test to diagnose IBS, but your doctor will be able to do so after hearing of your symptoms.

"Patients sometimes worry they have some other disease, especially if their symptoms are persistent or severe, or if they know other people who had similar symptoms but a different disorder," explains Dr. Lin Chang, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Digestive Diseases at UCLA in the US.

Colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease may cause IBS-like symptoms, but affected individuals usually have other symptoms that are not frequently present in IBS. They also can be diagnosed by specialised tests.

Gynaecological disorders, like endometriosis and ovarian cancer, can cause chronic lower abdominal pain and bloating, but these symptoms are not usually related to meals or defecation as in IBS. However, gastrointestinal symptoms can be vague and a gynaecologic exam can help distinguish these disorders from IBS. Women should have annual pelvic examinations whether or not they have IBS symptoms.

Certain symptoms, like unexplained weight loss or rectal bleeding, are not typical of IBS and signal the need for additional tests to identify other conditions. Remember that IBS is common and people may sometimes have another coexisting disorder that is not responsible for their IBS symptoms. Doctors can help sort this out.

Ask your doctor to rule out other options if you:

• Are over 45
• Are bleeding from the rectum
• Notice blood in your stools
• Notice weight loss or anaemia
• Think there are signs of infection
• Have a family history of cancer or inflammatory bowel disease

What can you do?

There is no cure as of yet, but there are several treatments that can help relieve your symptoms. These include diet and lifestyle changes as well as medications, and you may need to keep a daily diary to work out factors that worsen your condition and to find the best combination of treatments that works for you.

For some IBS sufferers, it may help to eliminate foods that trigger symptoms. Caffeine, dairy products, spicy foods, alcohol, raw fruits, artificial sweeteners, fatty foods and gas-producing vegetables like beans and cabbage may be among the culprits. Instead, drink herbal teas, increase the amount of fibre in your diet and drink plenty of water. For some people, it may help to go on a special diet, for example cutting out wheat or dairy products, but this should only be done with the recommendation and assistance of your doctor.

You may also benefit from lifestyle therapies such as counselling, relaxation therapy, hypnosis, pain management therapy or acupuncture.

Visit www.aboutibs.org