Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes and Risk Factors
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal disorder mainly affecting the large intestine. It is a chronic condition causing abdominal cramps, bloating, gas with diarrhoea or constipation or sometimes both alternately, that needs long-term management.
Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional disorder, that causes changes in the functioning of the digestive system causing symptoms. The disease occurs due to problems associated with the movement of the digestive system and not because of any tissue damage.
Previously Irritable bowel syndrome was called spastic colon or nervous colon.
Irritable bowel syndrome can be divided into two groups:
- Irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhoea
- Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation
Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are:
Irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhoea is very common, and the symptoms are:
- Frequent stool
- Urge to pass more stools soon after passing stool.
- Nausea
- Bloating
- Loose stool
- Feeling as if unable to empty the bowel after passing stool.
- Abdominal discomfort
- Sudden urge to pass stool
Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation are:
- Infrequent stools
- Abdominal discomfort
- Bloating
- Gas
- Straining while passing stool
- Urge to pass more stools soon after passing stool
- Constant urge to pass stool
Causes of irritable bowel syndrome
The exact cause for irritable bowel syndrome is unknown, however, the following is considered to cause irritable bowel syndrome:
- Abnormal movements of the intestines.
- Poor absorption of food especially sugars and acidic food.
- Gastroenteritis may set off the symptoms of Irritable bowel syndrome.
- Anxiety or depression
- Bacterial outgrowth in the small intestine
- Family history of irritable bowel syndrome
- Hypersensitivity to pain because of gas or full bowel.
Risk factors:
The risk factors for irritable bowel syndrome include:
- Females are twice times more affected than men.
- People in their teens through their forties are at higher risk of developing Irritable bowel syndrome.
- People who have a family history of Irritable bowel syndrome are at higher risk of developing it.
- Stress
- Sensitivity to certain food items, mainly, lactose, gluten, sugar-laden food, dairy products, acidic foods, carbonated drinks or alcohol tend to disturb the digestion.
- Eating large meals at a time.
- Certain medicines
- Food poisoning and traveler’s diarrhoea triggers first Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms.
Complications:
The complications of irritable bowel syndrome are:
- Dehydration caused because of several bouts of diarrhoea causing the body to lose water and salts.
- Impacted bowel in people who suffer from constipation, sometimes blocking the colon.
- Intolerance to certain food that aggravates the symptoms of Irritable bowel syndrome.
- Malnourishment as nutrients is not absorbed properly.
- Hemorrhoids, which gets worse either due to very loose stools or very hard stools.
- Urine inconsistency especially at night
- Complications during pregnancy
- Missing office due to diarrhoea.
Lifestyle changes to relief symptoms:
Few lifestyle tips to manage the symptoms of Irritable bowel syndrome are :
- Exercise regularly
- Avoid foods that aggravate symptoms
- Manage stress
- Eat healthy food
- Eat small meals at a time
- Keep private parts clean avoiding complications