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Irritable Bowel Syndrome ( IBS )
By peace | March 19, 2006
In fact, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects approximately 10-20% of the general population. It is the most common disease diagnosed by gastroenterologists (doctors who specialize in medical treatment of disorders of the stomach and intestines) and one of the most common disorders seen by primary care physicians.
Sometimes irritable bowel syndrome is referred to as spastic colon, mucous colitis, spastic colitis, nervous stomach, or irritable colon. It is a condition in which a patient suffers lower gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, diarrhea alternating with constipation, abdominal cramping and pain, gas and bloating, and mucus in the stool. No cause for these symptoms can be found, so it is known as a “functional” bowel disease. This means the lower gastrointestinal tract doesn ‘t function normally, but there is no apparent physical reason for these symptoms.
Irritable bowel syndrome is understood as a multi-faceted disorder. In people with IBS, symptoms result from what appears to be a disturbance in the interaction between the gut or intestines, the brain, and the autonomic nervous system that alters regulation of bowel motility (motor function) or sensory function.
With IBS, the nerves and muscles in the bowel are extra-sensitive. For example, the muscles may contract too much when you eat. These contractions can cause cramping and diarrhea during or shortly after a meal. Or the nerves can be overly sensitive to the stretching of the bowel (because of gas, for example). Cramping or pain can result.
IBS can be painful. But it does not damage the bowel or cause any other diseases. There is no specific test for IBS; it is diagnosed by ruling out other diseases with similar symptoms. The symptoms of IBS often begin or are made worse by stressful events, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or school exams. Emotional stress will not cause a person to develop IBS. But if you already have IBS, stress can trigger symptoms. In fact, the bowel can overreact to all sorts of things, including food, exercise, and hormones.
Foods that tend to cause symptoms include milk products, chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks, and fatty foods. In some cases, simply eating a large meal will trigger symptoms.
Women with IBS often have more symptoms during their menstrual periods.
While IBS is a major functional disease, it is important to mention a second major functional disease referred to as dyspepsia, or functional dyspepsia. The symptoms of dyspepsia are thought to originate from the upper gastrointestinal tract; the esophagus, stomach, and the first part of the small intestine. The symptoms include upper abdominal discomfort, bloating (the subjective sense of abdominal fullness without objective distension), or objective distension (swelling, or enlargement). The symptoms may or may not be related to meals. There may be nausea with or without vomiting and early satiety (a sense of fullness after eating only a small amount of food).
The study of functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract often is categorized by the organ of involvement. Thus, there are functional disorders of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, and gallbladder. The amount of research on functional disorders has been focused mostly on the esophagus and stomach (such as dyspepsia), perhaps because these organs are easiest to reach and study. Research into functional disorders affecting the small intestine and colon (for example, IBS) is more difficult to conduct and there is less agreement among the research studies. This probably is a reflection of the complexity of the activities of the small intestine and colon and the difficulty in studying these activities. Functional diseases of the gallbladder, like those of the small intestine and colon, also are more difficult to study.
Treatment includes dietary changes and drugs such as antispasmodics, antidiarrheals, antacids, anti-gas medications, or antidepressants. For some patients, psychotherapy is useful to help deal with stress. For most patients, the symptoms of IBS improve with therapy or when a patient’s stress is relieved, and in some patients, IBS may suddenly disappear and never return.
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