subject: Functional Bowel Disorder [print this page] Irritable bowel syndrome is the symptoms based diagnose system caused by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating and alteration of bowel habits. As a functional bowel disorder, IBS has no known cause. Diarrhea and constipation may pre-dominate or may be alternate. IBS is common disorder that affects your large intestine (colon). It causes cramping, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation and bloating gas. Despite of these many problems, it does cause any permanent damage to your colon or large intestine. Most of the people suffering from IBS gradually improves, only few number of them develop serious or disabling signs and symptoms.
IBS does not cause inflammation or changes in bowel tissues or increases your risk of colorectal cancer as that of in more serious intestinal disease. Change in lifestyle and diet is the most effective way to overcome the irritable bowel syndrome.
IBS can be caused after an infection in intestine although, the exact cause of the irritable bowel syndrome is not yet known. This is postinfectious disease. The intestine is connected to brain. Signals go back and forth between the bowel and brain. The symptom affects bowel function and symptoms. The nerves become more active during stress, causing the intestine to be more sensitive and squeeze. The problem can occur at any age and it is more common in women compare to men.
Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome vary from mild to severe. Most people have mild symptoms. Symptoms differ from one person to another. Bloating, abdominal pain, fullness and gas are few common symptoms of IBS. Pain may other symptoms often vary, pain may reduce or gradually go away after the bowel movement, pain occurs how often you face bowel movement.
During IBS, person may switch between diarrhea and constipation. People with diarrhea face frequent, watery, loose stool which are hard to control. They will have an urgent need to have a bowel movement. Whereas, people with constipation may find hard to pass stool or usually have few bowel movements. They often feel the need to pass stool. People with constipation might feel the cramps with bowel movement. For some people symptoms may get worse foe few days or weeks and then gradually decrease whereas in some symptoms are present most of the time. There are chances the person suffering from IBS lose his/her appetite.
The goal of bowel treatment is to relieve the symptoms. There is no significant test to diagnose IBS. Most of the time doctors diagnose IBS as per the signs and symptoms. Sometimes, tests are conducted to rule out other problems or diseases. Lifestyle change and adapting a better diet is the effective treatment to overcome the bowel movements. However, no specific diet is recommended for IBS as the symptoms vary from one person to another. But make sure, you do not take caffeine, tea or colas as they stimulate the intestines. Avoid large diets and include fiber in diet so as to deal with constipation.
Call your doctor if you come across the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome or if you face any change in the bowel movement that does not go away.
