Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Abdomen | Gastroenterology | Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (Disease)


Description

The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common ailments of the intestine. The term IBS is not very accurate, because it implies that the bowel is irritated in response to normal stimuli, which may or may not be the case. Several terms are used for IBS, including spastic colon, spastic colitis, mucous colitis etc.

The IBS is described as a functional disease. This means that either the muscles of the organs or the nerves that control the organs do not function normally and therefore the organs do not function normally.

Causes and Risk Factors

The cause of IBS is not known. There are, however, some risk factors that can trigger the IBS, such as emotional stress; eating; flatulence (excess gas); female hormones (in women with IBS, symptoms often worsen during menstruation); the use of certain medications and certain foods (e. g. alcohol, chocolate, coffee, dairy, fructose, carbohydrates. ) after an episode of gastroenteritis; excessive proliferation of bacteria in the small intestine.

Diagnosis and treatment

The doctor may perform an endoscopy of the lower part of the colon - with a tube with a camera - especially in older patients - to examine the inside of the colon. Sometimes the doctor asks abdominal ultrasound or x-ray of the bowel.

People with SCI are usually able to manage their symptoms by making adjustments to their lifestyle. A healthy diet can reduce symptoms. Since stress can cause the onset of IBS symptoms, it is important to know how to better manage the IBS, through physical exercises together with relaxation exercises (meditation, for example). Medicines are available to slow the passage of food through the digestive tract, and to control diarrhea. Laxatives are sometimes useful in cases of persistent constipation. ...