Irritable bowel syndrome, also known as IBS, is a term for a group of symptoms that affect your digestive system. This is, in fact, a common but rather awkward gastrointestinal disease or medical condition affecting your intestines. 

Symptoms in people with IBS vary from pain in the abdomen and cramping to diarrhoea or constipation and it alternates frequently. With IBS you may also have diarrhoea, constipation, or an alternating type of pattern where it switches back and forth. IBS does not cause damage in your GI (gastrointestinal) tract, nor does it increase the risk of worse problems like colon cancer. Instead, it is one chronic condition that most people can keep under control through changing their habits and what they eat, taking medications and receiving behavioral therapy. 

Females are at about twice the risk of suffering from IBS compared to men and most females’ symptoms worsen around the time of menstruation. The National Institute of Health states that the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome is around 11% worldwide as of 2023, based on different clinical criteria used for diagnosis. 

What are the types of IBS? 

There are three categories of IBS. Researchers classify IBS based on how your stools look on days when you are having symptom flare-ups. Most people with IBS have normal bowel movements some days and abnormal ones on others. The abnormal days explain what type of IBS you have. 

• IBS with constipation (IBS-C): Stools are mostly hard and lumpy. 

• IBS with diarrhoea (IBS-D): You mostly experience loose, watery stools. 

• IBS with mixed bowel habits (IBS-M): You experience both the diarrheal type and the constipated type combined, such that you both have hard and lumpy bowel movements and loose and watery movements. 

The differences are important as certain treatments only work for specific types of IBS. 

IBS symptoms 

IBS may appear with frequent symptoms or symptoms may occur during flare-ups. In other words, you do not always have symptoms. Rather, symptoms may stop occurring (and you’ll again have normal bowel movements). At other times, symptoms will recur. 

IBS symptoms are: 

• Pain or cramping in the abdomen, often accompanied by a desire to have a bowel movement. 

• Gas or bloating. 

• Diarrhoea – loose stools. 

• Constipation – few stools. 

• Alternating between periods of diarrhoea and constipation. 

• You have mucus in your stool, which can appear whitish in color. 

• You do not feel as if you have entirely eliminated stool from your body after a bowel movement. 
   

Causes of IBS-  

The definite etiology of IBS is not determined, but some possible causes that can be connected with its development are as follows: 

• Gut-brain interaction: Abnormal communication between the gut and brain may affect bowel function. 

• Food sensitivities: Some individuals may be sensitive to other foods, especially dairy, gluten, and high FODMAPs. 

• Infections: Infection of the gastrointestinal tract or the overgrowth of bacteria in the intestines may contribute to IBS. 

• Stress and Psychological Factors: Anxiety and depression are commonly associated with IBS. 

• Hormonal Changes: Women show worsening of IBS symptoms during their menstrual cycles. 

How is IBS diagnosed?  

There is no test for diagnosing IBS. Therefore, diagnosis relies mainly on: 

• History and Medical Check-up: Physicians examine the symptoms and for how long they have been present. 

• The Rome IV Criteria: It is used in assessing symptoms involving abdominal pain, change in bowel habits, etc. 

• Exclusion of other conditions: Blood tests and stool tests or imaging may be requested in order to exclude all the other conditions such as celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease. 

Treatment Options for IBS 

IBS has no known cure. However, there are some options that are used to manage their symptoms. These include: 

• Dietary modification: Patients can identify their trigger foods and avoid them as a possible method of alleviating symptoms. Low-FODMAP is commonly recommended. 

• Medications: Depending upon the type of IBS, a person may be prescribed antispasmodics, laxatives, or anti-diarrheal medication. 

• Psychological therapies: Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and other relaxation techniques may help to alleviate symptoms associated with stress. 

• Probiotics: These may help improve the health of the gut, hence reducing symptoms. 

• Lifestyle modification: Exercise and adequate hydration also help in improving the symptoms.