Irritable bowel syndrome: causes and symptoms
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder, occurring in approximately 15 per cent of Australians. It is twice as common in women as in men. About half the people seeing a doctor for IBS are younger than 35. Causes of IBS include hypersensitivity of the intestines, depression, anxiety, stress, gastrointestinal infection, and early life factors (such as genetic background or cultural factors). It is not caused by a blood or biochemical disorder, and does not cause cancer or ulcerative colitis.
What are the symptoms of IBS?
People with IBS have continuous or recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort that is relieved by a bowel movement (passing stool), or occurs along with a change in the frequency appearance or consistency of stool. Other symptoms may include:
- altered stool frequency (more than 3 bowel movements per day or less than 3 per week);
- altered stool consistency (lumpy, hard, loose or watery);
- altered stool passage (straining, urgency, feeling of incomplete evacuation);
- passage of mucus; or
- bloating or a feeling of abdominal distension.
IBS is diagnosed only if there are no identifiable disorders to account for the above symptoms, and if the person has had symptoms for at least 12 weeks in the past year. Some people find that their symptoms are triggered by certain foods or by eating too quickly or too much.
When should you seek medical advice?
You should seek medical advice if:
- you have bleeding from the back passage;
- symptoms begin later in life (older than 50 years of age);
- you have a family history of colorectal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease);
- your symptoms get progressively worse;
- your stools are pale, bulky, very offensive smelling and difficult to flush away (this may indicate that you are not absorbing fat properly);
- you think you may be anaemic — the main symptoms are tiredness, weakness and paleness;
- you have a fever;
- you suffer significant weight loss; or
- you awaken frequently at night, with symptoms.
What can you do?
If you suffer from IBS, you should:
- keep a diary of events surrounding each episode, as this may help identify patterns in daily life that cause or aggravate symptoms;
- avoid foods and other substances that clearly provoke symptoms;
- modify your lifestyle to reduce stress;
- eat high fibre foods or take a fibre supplement (unless fibre worsens your symptoms): have breakfast cereal, 3 to 5 serves of vegetables and 3 pieces of fruit every day;
- avoid alcohol, caffeine and nicotine;
- drink 6 to 8 glasses of water or herbal tea a day;
- keep the fat in your diet down to 30 g a day;
- exercise regularly; and
- take any prescribed medicines.
Last Reviewed: 10 August 2006
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