Tummy trouble
The only thing worse than being ill, is being ill and not knowing what you suffer from. Around 10 to 15 per cent of the world’s population suffers from the Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) but very few even know that the ailment is a reality and even fewer people know that they suffer from the same. In fact, IBS is a benign disease, which means it may not kill you, but it will certainly affect your lifestyle.
The fact is that IBS does have physical symptoms but as these symptoms are common to several other gastrointestinal problems and since IBS is a benign disease, it is difficult for people to identify the same.
Track it down
IBS is a functional gastrointestinal disease and has no definite cause and even though a patient may experience multiple symptoms, every patient suffers from a different set of symptoms. The duration of symptoms is long — usually months or years and IBS does not reduce longevity but it has an effect on the quality of life.The symptoms may lead to anxiety or depression. Of the several symptoms associated with IBS, the most predominant are:
Abdominal discomfort or pain.
Constipation or diarrhoea.
Alternating constipation and diarrhoea.
Abdominal bloating.
Symptoms of acidity may be associated in a few patients.
Non-GI symptoms like headache, backache, anxiety and depression.
What causes IBS
A number of different mechanisms may be implicated in the pathogenesis of IBS including abnormal motility, visceral hypersensitivity, low grade inflammation, stress and genetic factors.
Differentiating IBS
As the symptoms of IBS are common to other disorders, it is important to differentiate IBS from various other gastrointestinal disorders like infective colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, colonic tuberculosis, colonic cancer, small intestinal obstruction and acid peptic disease. Listed below are a list of symptoms which means you DO NOT have IBS:
Blood in stools.
Fever.
Weight loss
Anaemia
Anorexia
Diagnosis and treatment
An elaborate history of the patient’s health, a thorough physical examination and the duration of symptoms suggest the diagnosis. In some cases, a colonoscopy would be required to reach a conclusion. Once the diagnosis is established, patient education and reassurance becomes the primary goal of treatment and once the patient understands that IBS is a benign disease, he or she will be in a position to cope with the symptoms associated with IBS.
(Dr B. Ravi Shankar is a consultant gastroenterologist
at the Yashoda
Hospital, Secunderabad)
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