What is irritable bowel syndrome?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common digestive disorder which can cause troublesome and persistent symptoms. These vary greatly from person to person, but usually include cramping discomfort, a feeling of fullness or bloating, and a change or disruption of bowel habit. This can range from constipation (difficult or infrequent passage of a motion) to diarrhoea (frequent or loose motions and an urgent need to go), or can alternate between the two. The symptoms appear to be due to an increased sensitivity of the bowel, which results in spasm of the bowel muscle. IBS is a disorder of the way in which the bowel functions. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as a ‘functional bowel disorder’.
The irritable bowel syndrome is not:
- hereditary, although other members of the family may have similar symptoms;
- food allergy, although some patients find they are intolerant of particular foods;
- "all in the mind", even though test results may be normal;
- an infection, although it may have been triggered by an initial attack of gastro-enteritis;
- bowel inflammation, as in the case of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease;
- caused by ulcers, gallstones, cancer or other more serious digestive diseases, although some patients with these conditions may have some symptoms in common with IBS at some stage.
