IBS: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Triggers, and Treatment

IBS is also known as spastic colon, irritable colon, mucous colitis, and spastic colitis. It is a separate condition from inflammatory bowel disease and ... HealthlineHealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectSubscribeInflammatoryBowelDiseaseBasicsofIBDTreatmentsFood&GutHealthLiveWellwithIBDCommunityNewsletterEverythingYouWanttoKnowAboutIBSMedicallyreviewedbyDanielMurrell,M.D.—WrittenbyJaimeHerndon,MS,MPH,MFA—UpdatedonMarch7,2019WhatisIBS?IBSsymptomsSymptomsofIBSinwomenSymptomsofIBSinmenIBSpainIBSdiagnosisIBSdietTreatingIBSHomeremediesforIBSFoodstoavoidwithIBSIBSmedicationWhatcausesIBS?IBStriggersIBSwithstressIBSwithweightlossIBSwithdiarrheaIBSwithconstipationWeincludeproductswethinkareusefulforourreaders.Ifyoubuythroughlinksonthispage,wemayearnasmallcommission.Here’sourprocess.OverviewBetween3percentand20percentofAmericansexperienceirritablebowelsyndrome(IBS)symptoms.Theconditionaffectsmorewomenthanmen.SomepeoplewithIBShaveminorsymptoms.However,forothersthesymptomsaresignificantanddisruptdailylife.WhatisIBS?IBSisalsoknownasspasticcolon,irritablecolon,mucouscolitis,andspasticcolitis.Itisaseparateconditionfrominflammatoryboweldiseaseandisn’trelatedtootherbowelconditions.IBSisagroupofintestinalsymptomsthattypicallyoccurtogether.Thesymptomsvaryinseverityanddurationfrompersontoperson.However,theylastatleastthreemonthsforatleastthreedayspermonth.IBScancauseintestinaldamageinsomecases.However,thatisnotcommon.IBSdoesn’tincreaseyourriskofgastrointestinalcancers,butitcanstillhaveasignificanteffectonyourlife.LearnmoreaboutthespecificwaysIBScanaffectyourbowels.IBSsymptomsThesymptomsofIBStypicallyinclude:crampingabdominalpainbloatingandgasconstipationdiarrheaIt’snotuncommonforpeoplewithIBStohaveepisodesofbothconstipationanddiarrhea.Symptomssuchasbloatingandgastypicallygoawayafteryouhaveabowelmovement.SymptomsofIBSaren’talwayspersistent.Theycanresolve,onlytocomeback.However,somepeopledohavecontinuoussymptoms.LearnmoreaboutthesymptomsofIBS.SymptomsofIBSinwomenWomenmaytendtohavesymptomsaroundthetimeofmenstruation,ortheymayhavemoresymptomsduringthistime.Menopausalwomenhavefewersymptomsthanwomenwhoarestillmenstruating.Somewomenhavealsoreportedthatcertainsymptomsincreaseduringpregnancy.LearnmoreaboutthenatureofIBSsymptomsinwomen.SymptomsofIBSinmenSymptomsofIBSinmenarethesameasthesymptomsinwomen.However,alotfewermenreporttheirsymptomsandseektreatment.LearnmoreabouthowthesymptomsofIBScanaffectmen.IBSpainIBSpainmayfeellikecramping.Withthiscramping,youwillalsohaveatleasttwoofthefollowingexperiences:somereliefofpainafterabowelmovementachangeinhowoftenyouhaveabowelmovementchangesinthewayyourstoolslookIBSdiagnosisYourdoctormaybeabletodiagnoseIBSbasedonyoursymptoms.Theymayalsotakeoneormoreofthefollowingstepstoruleoutotherpossiblecausesofyoursymptoms:haveyouadoptacertaindietorcutoutspecificfoodgroupsforaperiodtoruleoutanyfoodallergieshaveastoolsampleexaminedtoruleoutinfectionhavebloodtestsdonetocheckforanemiaandruleoutceliacdiseaseperformacolonoscopyAcolonoscopyistypicallyonlydoneifyourdoctorsuspectsthatyoursymptomsarebeingcausedbycolitis,inflammatoryboweldisease(Crohn’sdisease),orcancer.LearnmoreabouttheprocessofdiagnosingIBS.IBSdietForsomepeople,dietarychangescangoalongwayinhelpingeasesymptoms.BecausethesymptomsofIBSvaryamongpeoplewiththecondition,approachestodietarychangesneedtovary.ThisHealthlinearticlehelpstooutlinesomeofthesedifferentdietaryapproaches.TreatingIBSThereisnocureforIBS.Treatmentisaimedatsymptomrelief.Initially,yourdoctormayhaveyoumakecertainlifestylechanges.These“homeremedies”aretypicallysuggestedbeforetheuseofmedication.LearnmoreaboutthedifferenttypesofIBStreatment.HomeremediesforIBSCertainhomeremediesorlifestylechangesmayhelptorelieveyourIBSsymptomswithouttheuseofmedication.Examplesoftheselifestylechangesinclude:participatinginregularphysicalexercisecuttingbackoncaffeinatedbeveragesthatstimulatetheintestineseatingsmallermealsminimizingstress(talktherapymayhelp)takingprobiotics(“good”bacterianormallyfoundintheintestines)tohelprelievegasandbloatingavoidingdeep-friedorspicyfoodsLearnmoreabouttheseandotherhomeremedies.PurchaseprobioticsonAmazon»FoodstoavoidwithIBSManagingyourdietwhenyouhaveIBSmaytakealittleextratimebutisoftenworththeeffort.Modifyingamountsoreliminatingcertainfoodssuchasdairy,friedfoods,indigestiblesugars,andbeansmayhelptoreducedifferentsymptoms.Forsomepeople,addingspicesandherbssuchasginger,peppermint,andchamomilehashelpedtoreducesomeIBSsymptoms.LearnmoreabouthowcertainfoodsinteractwithIBSsymptoms.IBSmedicationIfyoursymptomsdonotimprovethroughhomeremedies,suchaslifestyleordietarychanges,yourdoctormaysuggesttheuseofmedications.Differentpeoplecanresponddifferentlytothesamemedication,soyoumayneedtoworkwithyourdoctortofindtherightmedicationforyou.Aswithallmedication,whenconsideringnewmedication,it’simportanttotellyourdoctorwhatyouarealreadytaking,includingherbalremediesandover-the-countermedications.Thiswillhelpyourdoctoravoidanymedicationthatcouldinteractwithwhatyouarealreadytaking.SomedrugsareusedtotreatallsymptomsofIBS,whileotherdrugsarefocusedonspecificsymptoms.Drugsthatareusedincludemedicationstocontrolmusclespasms,anticonstipationdrugs,tricyclicantidepressantstoeasepain,andantibiotics.IfyourmainIBSsymptomisconstipation,linaclotideandlubiprostonearetwodrugsthatarerecommendedbytheAmericanCollegeofGastroenterology(ACG).ReadthisHealthlinearticletofindmoredetailedinformationaboutthemedicationusedtotreatIBS.WhatcausesIBS?AlthoughtherearemanywaystotreatIBS,theexactcauseofIBSisunknown.Possiblecausesincludeanoverlysensitivecolonorimmunesystem.PostinfectiousIBSiscausedbyapreviousbacterialinfectioninthegastrointestinaltract.ThevariedpossiblecausesmakeIBSdifficulttoprevent.ThephysicalprocessesinvolvedinIBScanalsovary,butmayconsistof:slowedorspasticmovementsofthecolon,causingpainfulcrampingabnormalserotoninlevelsinthecolon,affectingmotilityandbowelmovementsmildceliacdiseasethatdamagestheintestines,causingIBSsymptomsIBStriggersFormanypeople,thekeytomanagingIBSsymptomsistoavoidtriggers.CertainfoodsaswellasstressandanxietycanbetriggersforIBSsymptomsformanypeople.CertainfoodsarecommontriggersformanypeoplewithIBS.However,someofthesefoodsmayhaveagreatereffectonyouthanothers.Itmayhelptokeepafooddiaryforaperiodtolearnwhichfoodsaretriggersforyou.Recognizinginadvancesituationsthatmayincreaseyourlevelsofstressandanxietycanhelp.Thiscangiveyoutimetoeitherplantoavoidthesesituationswhenpossibleordevelopstrategiestolimitthestressandanxiety.LearnmoretipsforavoidingandmanagingtriggersofIBS.IBSwithstressTheautomaticmovement,ormotility,ofyourdigestivesystemiscontrolledtoagreatdegreebyyournervoussystem.Stresscanaffectyournerves,makingyourdigestivesystemoveractive.IfyouhaveIBS,yourcolonmaybeoverlyresponsivetoevenslightdisruptionofyourdigestivesystem.ItisalsobelievedthatIBSisaffectedbytheimmunesystem,whichisaffectedbystress.LearnmoreaboutthemanywaysstresscanaffectIBS.IBSwithweightlossIBSdoesn’taffecttheweightofeveryonewiththecondition.However,itcanpotentiallyleadtoweightlossifyoudon’teatenoughtomaintainyourweighttoavoidsymptoms.Crampingmaycomemoreoftenrightafteryoueat.Iffrequentdiarrheaisoneofyoursymptoms,yourbodymaynotbegettingallofthenutrientsfromthefoodyoueat.Yourweightmaydecreaseasaresultofthis.LearnmoreaboutthewaysIBScanaffectyourweight.IBSwithdiarrheaIBSwithdiarrheaisaspecifictypeofIBS.Itprimarilyaffectsyourlargeintestine.CommonsymptomsofIBSwithdiarrheaincludefrequentstoolsandnausea.SomepeoplewithIBSwithdiarrheaoccasionallylosebowelcontrol.LearnmoreaboutdiagnosingandtreatingIBSwithdiarrheaaswellastipstomanagesymptoms.IBSwithconstipationIBSwithconstipationisatypeofIBSthattypicallyaffectsadolescentsandyoungadults.StoolsthatarehardandhappenlessoftenaswellasconstipationarethemostcommonsymptomsofthistypeofIBS.ReadthisarticleinSpanish.LastmedicallyreviewedonJuly24,2017MedicallyreviewedbyDanielMurrell,M.D.—WrittenbyJaimeHerndon,MS,MPH,MFA—UpdatedonMarch7,2019relatedstoriesWhentoSeekaDoctorforSevereIBS-C/CICSymptoms9SignsandSymptomsofIrritableBowelSyndrome(IBS)HowtoDealwithConstipationDuringYourPeriodConstipatedBeforePeriod:WhyItHappensandWhatYouCanDoAboutItIBSDietGuideReadthisnextWhatAretheDifferentTypesofIrritableBowelSyndrome(IBS)?MedicallyreviewedbySaurabhSethi,M.D.,MPHIBSisoftentalkedaboutasastandalonecondition,butit'sactuallyanumbrellaofdifferentsyndromes.KnowingtheexacttypeofIBSyouhaveisimportantindeterminingthecorrecttreatment.LearnmoreaboutthedifferenttypesofIBS,theirsymptoms,diagnosis,andtreatment.READMOREIBSDietGuideWrittenbyKristeenMooreandErikaKleinSixcommondietsmayhelpeaseyourIBSsymptoms.TheyincludethelowFODMAPdiet,gluten-freediet,highfiberdiet,andmore.READMOREUsingBentyltoTreatIBS:WhattoKnowMedicallyreviewedbyAlanCarter,Pharm.D.BentylisamedicationthatmayhelpreducepainfulmusclespasmsinyourgutcausedbyIBS.Learnmoreaboutthismedication,includingitseffectivenessandsideeffects.WealsoreviewalternativeIBStreatments.READMORECommonIBSSymptomsinFemalesMedicallyreviewedbySaurabhSethi,M.D.,MPHIBScansometimesaffectwomendifferentlyfromhowitaffectsmen.Hereare10symptomstowatchfor,ifyouthinkyoumighthaveIBS.READMOREWhatAretheSymptomsofanIBSAttack?MedicallyreviewedbySaurabhSethi,M.D.,MPHIrritablebowelsyndrome(IBS)isachronicconditionthatcausesboweldistressandstomachupsetbutdoesn’tdamagetheintestines.We’llcoverthesymptomsofIBS,treatmentstoeasethosesymptoms,andwaystopreventanIBSattackfromhappening.READMOREWhatAretheSymptomsofanIBSAttack?MedicallyreviewedbySaurabhSethi,M.D.,MPHIrritablebowelsyndrome(IBS)isachronicconditionthatcausesboweldistressandstomachupsetbutdoesn’tdamagetheintestines.We’llcoverthe…READMOREWhatAretheMostCommonSymptomsofanIrritableBowel?MedicallyreviewedbyGrahamRogers,M.D.Doyouhaveanirritablebowelorjustanupsetstomach?Learnhowtorecognizecommonsymptomsofirritablebowelsyndromeandgetthetreatmentyou…READMOREDoesLettuceWorsenSymptomsofIrritableBowelSyndrome?WrittenbyAlinaPetre,MS,RD(NL)Ifyouhaveirritablebowelsyndrome(IBS),youmaywanttoknowwhetherlettucecausesoralleviatesyoursymptoms.Thisarticleexplainshowlettuce…READMOREDoesHoneyRelieveSymptomsofIrritableBowelSyndrome?WrittenbyRachaelLink,MS,RDIfyou'relookingtorelievesymptomsofirritablebowelsyndrome(IBS),honeymaybeonefoodyoucantry.Thisarticleexp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