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Irritable Bowel Syndrome

What is irritable bowel syndrome?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a group of symptoms that affect your digestive system.  It’s a common but uncomfortable gastrointestinal disorder.  IBS causes your digestive tract to be very sensitive.  It changes how your bowel muscles contract.  Researchers categorize IBS based on the type of bowel movement problems you have:
  • IBS with constipation (IBS-C): Most of your poop is hard and lumpy.
  • IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D): Most of your poop is loose and watery.
  • IBS with mixed bowel habits (IBS-M): You have both hard/lumpy bowel movements and loose/watery bowel movements on the same day.

The kind of IBS you have will determine your treatment.  Certain medications only work for certain types of IBS.

IBS occurs most often in people in their late teens to early 40’s.  Women are twice as likely than men to get IBS.  Experts estimate that about 10% – 15% of the adult population in the United States has IBS.

What are the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome?

Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome include:
  • Excessive gas and bloating
  • Abdominal pain and cramps
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Mucus in your poop

How is irritable bowel syndrome treated?

Dr. Meyerson will do a sigmoidoscopy to look in your anus with a flexible lighted tube called a sigmoidoscope to rule out other causes of the symptoms.  While there is no cure for IBS, the goal of treatment is to control and manage symptoms.  IBS can often be managed by avoiding triggers.  Usually improved diet, increased exercise, and reducing stress improves symptoms over time, and prevents flare-ups.