Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder that affects the large intestine. This is a chronic condition that requires long-term management. The signs and symptoms of the disorder vary in different people. In some, it may cause diarrhea; however, for others, it may cause constipation, while for some others it may oscillate between the two. Although, IBS is a cause of discomfort, it does not damage the intestines. The signs of IBS are a combination of abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits.
The symptoms of IBS are very similar to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but the latter is a more serious condition than the former and causes serious complications. In most people affected by IBS, making certain changes in their lifestyle can be all that they would need to manage the disease.
Types of IBS
IBS is classified into three main types based on the symptoms:
- Diarrhea-predominant IBS
- Constipation-predominant IBS
- Diarrhea–constipation alternating IBS
Signs and symptoms
The signs and symptoms of IBS may vary from mild to severe, and the severity varies across people. The common symptoms of IBS are as follows:
Abdominal pain and cramping: Abdominal pain is the most common symptom of IBS. The digestive process is controlled by the brain and gut together through hormones, nerves, and signals. When people are affected by IBS, these signals get distorted, which results in an uncontrolled, painful tension in the muscles along the digestive tract. Pain and cramping occur in the lower abdomen or the entire abdomen and decreases after a bowel movement.
Diarrhea: Diarrhea-predominant IBS affects around 1/3rd of the people with IBS. People may experience a sudden urge to have a bowel movement due to an accelerated bowel transit in IBS. Stools may be loose and watery and may also contain mucus. This could cause stress and people may tend to avoid socializing due to this.
Constipation: IBS may cause constipation for some people. Constipation-predominant is the most common type of IBS, affecting nearly 50% of the people with IBS. The signals communication between the brain and the bowel may accelerate or slow down the normal transit of stools. When the transit time slows down, the bowel absorbs more water from the stool, making it hard and difficult to pass.
Alternating between diarrhea and constipation: Mixed or alternating between constipation and diarrhea affects around 20% of the people with IBS. In this type of IBS, severe, recurring abdominal pain is experienced.
Changes in bowel movements: Slow moving stool present in the intestine becomes dry and hard to pass, which worsens constipation. Moreover, quick movement of stools through the intestine leaves little time for absorption of water, leading to watery stools. In addition to these symptoms, blood or mucus may also be found in stools.
Gas and bloated feeling: IBS causes changes in the digestive process, which leads to increased gas production in the gut. This excessive gas can cause bloating.
Food intolerance: A majority of people with IBS report that particular food items trigger symptoms.
Fatigue and difficulty in sleeping: More than half of those affected by IBS report fatigue and difficulty in sleeping as well.
IBS affects between 25 and 45 million people in the country. A higher rate of women suffer from by this disease than men. Around 2 out of 3 affected by IBS are females, and around 1 in 3 are males. It is estimated that around 10–15% of the world’s population is affected by IBS. A survey by the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) reveals that diagnosis of IBS for nearly 2000 people was made after 6.6 years since the time the symptoms first began to occur.
