Know the signals and the symptoms to irritable bowel syndrome – a common disorder that affects 30% of adults
IBS
– the facts
This
very common gastrointestinal disorder affects
up to 30% of the adult population.
Classical
symptoms are of cramping abdominal
pain,
abdominal bloating, alteration in bowel
habit,
either diarrhoea or constipation,
mucus
discharge, incomplete evacuation of
faeces
and gastroesophageal reflux disease
(GORD).
The persistence of these symptoms,
or
the passage of blood through the rectum,
between
the brain and the gut. It can also be
triggered
by a severe infective episode of
gastroenteritis,
or it can even be stress related.
Managing
the condition
Investigation
after concise history taking and
examination
can often be managed on an
outpatient
basis, following basic blood tests
(thyroid
function test, coeliac screen) and stool
or
rectal bleeding, colonoscopy may be required, especially when
over
the age of 35, to exclude an alternative cause
for the symptoms.
Management
often involves certain dietary
modifications,
for example, the low FODMAPS
diet
has gained increasing acceptance recently
for
improving symptom control.
Refractory IBS can often be managed with good symptomatic
Refractory IBS can often be managed with good symptomatic
outcomes
through avoidance of precipitating
factors,
various relaxation techniques and bowel
