Irritable bowel syndrome: the 4 most common symptoms

You should think about irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) if the abdominal discomfort lasts for at least three months out of the year. Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are varied and manifest differently in different patients. Nevertheless, there are basic signs of the disease that occur in a certain period in each patient, alternate or replace each other. These are abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhea.

Abdominal pain is the most common symptom of irritable bowel syndrome. Most people experience pain in their lower abdomen, but statistics show that pain can occur anywhere. Most patients with irritable bowel syndrome experience pain shortly after eating or using the bathroom, but pain can also occur in other situations. Antispasmodics are usually prescribed to treat abdominal pain.

Doctors divide all cases of irritable bowel syndrome into four major groups: IBS with a predominance of constipation, IBS with a predominance of diarrhea, IBS with mixed symptoms, and unclassified cases of irritable bowel syndrome. Even though constipation is the main symptom causing the discomfort, it can be replaced at some point by diarrhea.

Constipation is much more common in women, but it occurs in people of both sexes – with constipation it is possible to go to the toilet no more than once every three days.

The standard approach to treating constipation is to prescribe laxatives, which should be taken with caution, however, as the drugs are addictive. Often, doctors recommend changing your diet and taking probiotics: this can also work.

Irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea is one of the most painful forms of the disease. Diarrhea comes on quickly, a person needs to go to the toilet at this time. This condition is expected to cause stress, which increases with each episode.

Doctors tell patients anti-diarrheal drugs, patients keep a food diary, trying to figure out which foods are causing diarrhea. It is not always possible to detect them, but in some cases avoiding lactose and gluten, for example, can help a little.

Gas and bloating are very common in IBS. Little is known about the exact causes of bloating. There are several theories as to why this may be happening, such as changes in gut microflora or problems with digestive enzymes.

You can reduce the risk of bloating somewhat by adjusting your diet: it is better to avoid foods that cause increased gas formation, such as cabbage or legumes. Sodas and alcohol are also generally excluded.

While doctors don’t have just one way to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome. The diagnosis is established taking into account the symptoms that the patient experiences, as well as studying the results of the prescribed studies. There is currently no single scheme for diagnosing IBS, depending on the manifestations of the disease in a patient, he may be prescribed various tests and studies, including colonoscopy. It can take several years before a diagnosis is established. Usually, doctors only make a diagnosis after ruling out other conditions that may have similar symptoms: gluten or lactose intolerance, inflammatory bowel disease, the effects of intestinal infections, and even hormonal disorders.

There is no magic pill that helps all patients with irritable bowel syndrome with its various manifestations. Treatment is mainly symptomatic: pain is relieved with antispasmodics, constipation is managed with laxatives, diarrhea is controlled with antidiarrheal drugs, and gas is controlled with diet.

Stress is a constant companion of those who have experienced IBS. Due to sudden manifestations of the disease, frequent pain, discomfort, patients are under tension, experience severe anxiety, they can develop depression. That’s why it’s important to remember that antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications can make life much easier.

These medications work best in combination with medications to combat bowel symptoms. They improve the condition even if the depression or anxiety is undiagnosed, but work (like other medications) with varying degrees of effectiveness. Psychotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome also helps.

Some doctors talk about the psychosomatic nature of the disease: anxiety and stress themselves aggravate the condition of patients, further increasing pain and discomfort.

The treatment of each patient is individual and depends on his condition, the symptoms he experiences, his reaction to prescribed medications. Therapy should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor and according to his appointment: what is suitable for one patient may be completely unsuitable for another.