- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a diagnosis of exclusion.
- Irritable bowel syndrome affects up to 15% of the United States population.
- Typical symptoms of Irritable bowel syndrome include constipation, diarrhea, cramping, and abdominal pain.
- IBS is a chronic condition.
- Although there is no cure for Irritable bowel syndrome, there are treatments that attempt to relieve symptoms, including dietary adjustments, medication and psychological interventions. Patient education and a good doctor-patient relationship are also important.
- Food, especially spicy foods, may trigger an episode of IBS, as can gas trapped in the intestine.
- Regular exercise, such as swimming or running, may help to regulate the bowels, as well as reduce stress.
- Researchers have reported that the high prevalence of Irritable bowel syndrome, in conjunction with increased costs produces a disease with a high societal cost. It is also regarded as a chronic illness and can dramatically affect the quality of a sufferer's life.
- Irritable bowel syndrome can be classified as either diarrhea-predominant (IBS-D), constipation-predominant (IBS-C) or IBS with alternating stool pattern (IBS-A or pain-predominant).
- The cause of Irritable bowel syndrome is unknown, but several hypotheses have been proposed. The risk of developing IBS increases sixfold after acute gastrointestinal infection. Post-infection, further risk factors are young age, prolonged fever, anxiety, and depression.
- There is convincing evidence that soluble fiber supplementation (e.g., psyllium) is effective in the general IBS population.
- One of the first references to the concept of an "irritable bowel" appeared in the Rocky Mountain Medical Journal in 1950. The term was used to categorize patients who developed symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, but where no well-recognized infective cause could be found.
- For patients who do not adequately respond to dietary fiber, osmotic laxatives such as polyethylene glycol, sorbitol, and lactulose can help avoid "cathartic colon," which has been associated with stimulant laxatives.
- Due to often unsatisfactory results from medical treatments for Irritable bowel syndrome up to 50 percent of people turn to complementary alternative medicine.
- Yoga may be effective for some sufferers of IBS.
Facts about Irritable bowel syndrome
