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- What is IBS?
- Symptoms of IBS
- Causes of IBS
- Prevention of IBS
- Risk factors for IBS
- Complications of IBS
- When to see a doctor about IBS
- Diagnosis of IBS
- Conventional treatment of IBS
- Alternative/complementary treatment of IBS
- Living with IBS
- Caring for someone with IBS
What is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, especially of the bowel. It is one of the most common disorders of the gastrointestinal system.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional condition as the bowel does not appear damaged when it is examined, so it is still operational, but it does not function as well as it should.
IBS is not a condition that can be inherited, it is not caused by a virus or bacteria and it is generally a benign condition which does not cause malignancies.
There are three types of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS):
- IBS with diarrhoea predominance (IBS-D) - in this type of IBS, there is a great deal of abdominal pain, cramping and discomfort, together with an urgency to pass loose, watery stools (at least three times a day) and there is often a feeling of not having emptied the bowel completely even after the numerous sessions in the bathroom
- IBS with constipation predominance (IBS-C) - in this type of IBS, there is a great deal of abdominal pain, cramping and discomfort, together with hard, lumpy stools and straining when trying to pass these stools, less than three bowel movements a week and a great deal of bloating or feeling full
- Alternating IBS (IBS-A) - in this type of IBS, there is a great deal of abdominal pain, cramping and discomfort and an alteration between diarrhoea and constipation (and associated symptoms)
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Facts about irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common gastrointestinal disorder - it is the "common cold" of the digestive tract
- Around one in five people have irritable bowel syndrome, but not all have major symptoms that require treatment
- IBS can occur predominantly with normal bowel movement and either only constipation or diarrhoea
- IBS can occur predominantly with normal bowel movement and then alternate between constipation and diarrhoea
- Women are more likely to be affected by IBS than men
- Many people that do get IBS do so after experiencing a bout of gastroenteritis, an infection of the stomach
- People with gastritis also seem to be predisposed to develop IBS
- Irritable bowel syndrome is thought to affect up to 25% of all people in Western nations such as Australia, UK and the USA
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