What Are the First Signs of Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

What are the causes of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common intestinal disorder that is characterized by abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common intestinal disorder that is characterized by abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits. Older terms for IBS include spastic colon, irritable colon and nervous colon.

The exact cause of irritable bowel syndrome is unknown. However, some factors which appear causative are:

• Intestinal muscle hyperactivity
• Decreased or increased intestinal motion
• Oversensitive nerves of the intestine
• Alterations in populations of gut microorganisms (microbiome)
• Intolerance to certain foods
• Being younger than 35
• Being a woman in the Western world

Women in Western countries are two to three times more prone IBS than men. Hispanics, Asians and Africans have a lesser prevalence of IBS than other ethnicities.

What foods trigger IBS attacks? 

• Intolerance to fatty foods leads to abdominal fullness and related symptoms
• Consuming milk and milk products may aggravate the symptoms
• Drinking carbonated beverages can lead to gas formation and eventually abdominal pain
• Sugar and sugar substitutes can cause excess burping, cramping and diarrhea.
• Intake of caffeine and legumes can worsen symptoms of abdominal discomfort and anxiety.

Consumption of the following foods may exacerbate IBS symptoms:

• Wheat products
• Onions
• Shallots
• Garlic
• Barley
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Pistachio
• Artichoke
• Chicory root
• Asparagus

How is IBS diagnosed?

Diagnostic tests include

What is the treatment for IBS?

Treatment options include:

• lifestyle changes
• stress management
• dietary changes
• managing the symptoms with medications

No cure for IBS exists. Therefore, treatment is focussed on eliminating or lessening the severity of symptoms.

Anti-diarrheal drugs such as loperamide help in reducing the frequency of bowel movements, and laxatives, such as milk of magnesia or polyethylene glycol, may soften the stools to relieve constipation.

Other drugs that may be used to treat IBS include:

Antibiotics, such as rifamixin, may be used to treat the overgrowth of bacteria in the intestine.

Probiotics are an excellent source of essential gut bacteria; however, their use remains unclear.