Coping With Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Coping With Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Nishant Baxi

What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?Even though irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders encountered by doctors, a lot of people still do not know much about the illness. This could probably be because it is not given as much attention when compared to other illnesses. It could also be that irritable bowel syndrome itself has not been properly defined and explained to people.

Coping With Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Nishant Baxi

© Nishant Baxi, 2023

ISBN 978-5-0059-7878-3

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Coping With Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Nishant Baxi

Table of Contents

What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?

Who Is At Risk for IBS?

What Are the Symptoms of IBS?

What Causes IBS – Overview of the GI Tract

What Sets Off IBS Flare-ups?

Is IBS a Harbinger of Something Worse?

All About Colonoscopy

Sigmoidoscopy Facts

Enteroscopy

IBS and Prescription Drugs

When Should You See a Doctor?

How Effective Are OTC (over-the-counter) Treatments?

An Ounce of Prevention

Control IBS with Homeopathy

IBS and Diet

IBS in Children

What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?

What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Even though irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders encountered by doctors, a lot of people still do not know much about the illness. This could probably be because it is not given as much attention when compared to other illnesses. It could also be that irritable bowel syndrome itself has not been properly defined and explained to people.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Basic Definition

Irritable bowel syndrome or spastic colon is considered a functional bowel disorder. Two of the most common manifestations of IBS are abdominal pain from cramps and apparent changes in bowel habits. Some of the principal signs of this syndrome are a pain in the lower abdomen and a sensation of being bloated, which are most often relieved by defecating.

Irritable bowel syndrome, statistically speaking, is very common. It makes up 20% to 50% of all gastroenterology cases every year.

Diagnosing Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The cause of irritable bowel syndrome is not that fully known. And because of this, there are no specific laboratory tests that would be able to detect whether a person is positive for irritable bowel syndrome. Its diagnosis consists of different methods, which include observing the signs and symptoms of IBS and then categorizing them accordingly.

Since the signs and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are very general, guidelines for the diagnosis of this syndrome have been set. The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that every other related disease has been ruled out through different tests and examinations.

There have also been cases of misdiagnosis because the etiology of irritable bowel syndrome is not that well defined. Most of the common misdiagnoses for IBS are lactose intolerance, celiac disease, and other infectious diseases.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Etiology

The etiology of irritable bowel syndrome has had its fair share of discussions in the medical world. Until today, its etiology still is not that well established.

In the 1950s, there was a medical journal that tackled irritable bowel. In this study, a patient is categorized as having irritable bowel if he or she is experiencing diarrhea, constipation, or abdominal pain. Unfortunately, doctors and other researchers found no infective agent that may cause these symptoms. Because of this fact, most of them theorized that having an irritable bowel means having a mental disorder.

At that time, IBS was considered a psychosomatic illness. In the early 1980s, another publication stated that it would be beneficial for patients with irritable bowel syndrome to undergo psychotherapy.

Another angle from which the medical world sees the etiology of IBS is through the body’s immune system. In the 1990s, research publications came out with information stating that there are indeed biochemical changes in the body of a person with irritable bowel syndrome. This has been evident through tests like serum samples and biopsies of tissues. This new information led to another belief that IBS has an organic cause as opposed to the old theory that its cause is psychosomatic.

In the course of this study, different changes in the body were noted through a battery of tests on the immune system. The results of these tests were quite significant for them to believe that the immune system indeed plays a role in the development of irritable bowel syndrome.

Last, but not least, there is a discussion that irritable bowel syndrome can be caused by an infectious agent. Recent studies show that symptoms can be relieved by the antibiotic, Rifaximin.

Since this has been a very strong angle in the quest to know more about the etiology of IBS, many researchers are tackling this side of the square. Most of the partial results of the research point to a single-celled organism as the causative agent of irritable bowel syndrome. These results, however, have not yet been fully accepted and established.

Even today, research on irritable bowel syndrome continues. It shouldn’t be long until these diligent researchers will be able to find the answer to this question of etiology and thus will make it easier to combat irritable bowel syndrome.

Who Is At Risk for IBS?