Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS

Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) describes a set of intestinal symptoms that have lasted for more than three months. These symptoms include colicky pains on either the left or right side of the abdomen caused by the bowel wall muscle going into spasm, bloating and swelling caused by gas and fluid accumulating within the intestine, frequent bowel movements even diarrhea alternating with constipation, occasional nausea and vomiting. In addition symptoms may also include feeling generally tired, headaches, generalised aches and pains, lethargy and fatigue, as well as depression. Symptoms all worsen in association with anxiety or stress. IBS is most common in younger people with stressful jobs.

Causes and cures
Almost certainly IBS will be found to be some kind of food intolerances. Most people find that by altering their diet they can get some improvement in their symptoms. In some people it appears to related to dairy products, for other people it is related to wheat based products. For other people sugar, sweets, biscuits, cakes and processed foods will bring on the symptoms. Excessive tea and coffee can make symptoms worse. Some medications improve symptoms in some people although they do not affect the underlying cause of the condition.
A high fibre diet bulks out the contents of the bowel and reduces the amount of pain. Medications that can be bought direct from the chemist include Colofac (mebeverine) or Relaxyl capsules with lomotil (Imodium) for diarrhoea. In addition relaxation and anxiety management are also helpful. Antacid medication such as Rennies, Gaviscon or similar can also be helpful.

Other possible diagnoses
Bowel infections such as Giardiasis or Salmonella can have similar symptoms as can ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. In older people (over 50) whenever there is a sudden change in bowel habit, it is important to exclude a cancer. If there is any doubt about the diagnosis, the stool needs to be sent for laboratory diagnosis and if appropriate arrange colonoscopy to exclude cancer or other problem. Negative laboratory results support the diagnosis of IBS.

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