Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a group of symptoms that cause pain in your gut and changes in your bowel movements.
The American College of Gastroenterology estimates that around 10% to 15% of adults in the United States have IBS, and a smaller percentage get an IBS diagnosis. So if you’re having digestive issues, it could be irritable bowel syndrome. This article will provide the ten frequent symptoms of IBS and some suggestions for finding relief.
What is irritable bowel syndrome?
IBS is a disturbance or change to your bowel function. For example, you may have stomach pain or changes to your bowel movements such as constipation, diarrhea, or even both. Depending on your symptoms, doctors refer to IBS using different terms.
IBS-C-IBS with constipation. It’s poop that is hard and lumpy. IBS-D is IBS with diarrhea-lose watery bowel movements. IBS-M is IBS mixed bowel symptoms. You can have loose, watery diarrhea and hard, lumpy bowel movements during a single day. What triggers IBS?
Doctors don’t know what triggers irritable bowel syndrome. It’s most common in your late teens to early forties. Women are twice as likely to get IBS than men. Certain foods trigger your symptoms. You may also notice that stress makes it worse. Researchers think that IBS could be your gut reaction to stress.
You may be at risk for IBS if you have:
Family members who have irritable bowel syndrome Lots of emotional stress or anxiety Food intolerances A history of sexual or physical abuse Digestive tract infection Ten Frequent Symptoms of IBS
1 – Abdominal pain or cramps
Abdominal pain is frequent when you have irritable bowel syndrome. Your brain and gut work in coordination to control your digestion. Your hormones and nerves cause good bacteria to enter your gut. But with irritable bowel syndrome, the signals get distorted. As a result, the muscles of the digestive system get tense. This imbalance causes pain– usually in your lower abdomen. After you have a bowel movement, you may feel better. But the pain will return over time.
2 – Constipation
IBS causes constipation in some people. Your body experiences disrupted communication between your brain and bowels. This interruption slows down your body’s regular bowel movements. Three bowel movements a week or less are considered constipation. You may have gut pain associated with constipation. Conversely, you may feel incomplete bowel movements–even after you finish.
3 – Diarrhea
Diarrhea is another common symptom of IBS. It affects around one-third of those with irritable bowel syndrome. Adults with IBS-D, on average, can have approximately twelve or more bowel movements a week.
Typically, a person has around six bowel moments a week, which is twice as many. In addition, IBS-D may cause a sudden urge to have a bowel movement. This condition can be stressful and embarrassing when you’re in social situations. If your doctor isn’t sure you have IBS, these symptoms usually clinch the diagnosis.
4 – Gas and bloating
Bloating and gas are uncomfortable symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. These symptoms are most common for those with IBS-D or mixed types, IBS-M. If you have IBS, there is a good chance your body isn’t absorbing carbs properly into your small intestine. So when they arrive in your large intestine, they break down, causing gas and bloating.
5 – Alternating Constipation and Diarrhea
Some people experience both constipation and diarrhea with irritable bowel syndrome. This occurs with intermittent abdominal pain. Never ignore gut pain. Gut pain may mean you have an infection or something else. IBS-M varies from person to person.
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