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So what is IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Your doctor probably gave you some information about Irritable Bowel Syndrome, but we would like to provide you with more detail about this as there are some important points of IBS patient information you need to know. As you read through the information, click on the links if you would like more details on any particular subject.
What you need to know
<<>> Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a chronic condition. Symptoms are usually present to some extent most of the time and are unlikely to fully resolve, although with Lifestyle Changes , Diet Changes and other interventions you are likely to experience a significant improvement in your symptoms. For example, a change in diet can improve symptoms in up to 70% of sufferers!
There are 4 main types of IBS:
IBS-D – This is the abbreviation for Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome where Diarrhea is the predominant symptom.
IBS-C – This is the abbreviation for Constipation-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome where Constipation is the predominant symptom.
IBS-A – This is the abbreviation for Alternating Constipation and Diarrhea type Irritable bowel syndrome predominates.
IBS-PI – This is the abbreviation for Post Infectious Irritable Bowel Syndrome which can occur after a bout of gastroenteritis and can have symptoms incorporating any of the above.
These will be discussed in more detail on other web pages within this site or click on the links if you want more information directly.
There are other symptoms that can occur with IBS and the condition should be thought of as a multisystem disorder. These may include
Tiredness
, Headache, Nausea,
Reflux
,
Wind, Bloating
, Muscle Fatigue, Urine Frequency,
Anxiety
and can even be influenced by hormonal changes that occur, particularly around the time of a womans period.
How common is irritable bowel syndrome?
IBS is a COMMON disorder so you are not alone! You are likely to have friends and family with the condition. In fact in the UK, 1 in 5 people have it and this is similar in the USA. So, it really is common, but Symptoms do vary so not everyone seeks help particularly when in its mildest form. They are also unlikely to talk about it either through fear or stigma. I hope this IBS patient information website will help break through this barrier as I really believe that talking about your symptoms is a therapy in its own right and keeping them bottled up just makes the symptoms worse. This web site will help you to start talking about your symptoms through the unique forums found at the bottom of most web pages on this site. So start talking about it now with other sufferers, family and friends. After all, I do this every day!
Who develops Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
"So who gets Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS?" Well the answer is we all can! It is no respecter of sex or age. Women are twice as likely to get the condition as men and most commonly in people between the ages of 20 and 40 years old. If over 45, with new onset of diarrhea, constipation or abdominal pain then it is important to have these symptoms investigated further as similar symptoms can occur in other bowel diseases (such as inflammatory bowel disease and Coeliac disease ) as well as Bowel Cancer . So if you know someone in this group ask them to get it investigated!
How is IBS diagnosed?
<<>> Doctors diagnose the disorder through the pattern of symptoms a sufferer presents with. There is no diagnostic test for IBS, but an internationally agreed criteria is used to make the diagnosis, called the Rome III criteria . The 'triad' of change in bowel habit (diarrhea, constipation), wind ( bloating or swelling of the abdomen) and abdominal pain are integral in the diagnosis and you can read more about the Rome III criteria by clicking on the link and this will take you to their website.
Share Your IBS Symptoms With Other Sufferers Now!
Share your IBS symptoms with other sufferers? What symptoms do you experience? What fears have you got? What makes your symptoms worse? What makes your symptoms better? Share anything you like with other sufferers now!
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