Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most debilitating intestinal issues today. Even though its consequences are not always dangerous, the sensation of pain and bloating is enough to incapacitate the patient. Also, it is among the most common disorders that affect the large intestine, and also causes gas, diarrhea, and constipation. IBS is considered a chronic condition, which means that it cannot be cured. However, there are several measures you can take to prevent episodes from happening, or at the very least, limit their effect.

Luckily, only a handful of patients experience severe symptoms of IBS. While everyone who suffers from this condition is prone to the negative effects of the condition, only a few of these patients experience crippling, debilitating pain.

Symptoms

One of the most common IBS symptoms is abdominal pain, which doesn’t improve by passing a bowel movement. If anything, the pain only seems to go away slightly when the patient passes stool. Also, for those who do not feel the urge to pass stool, usually experience severe gas or bloating, which causes considerable pain in the abdominal area.

Even though some patients experience bloating, this rarely leads to flatulence as constipation is also a common symptom of IBS. However, it is possible to experience alternating bouts of diarrhea and constipation, which can further leave the patient indisposed. Sometimes, an IBS patient may observe mucus in their stool.

Fortunately, these symptoms are not always present but are frequently triggered by certain environmental factors. For instance, the most serious IBS symptoms are frequently brought about by stress or anxiety. An IBS patient can be performing a typical task, and start to experience the symptoms once they feel anxious. In other cases, a person could suffer abdominal cramps and pain during situations of intense stress, such as when taking a test or during a job interview.

Causes

While the situations that trigger IBS are common knowledge, the exact cause behind the condition is still unknown. However, the specific mechanisms behind its symptoms are as follows:

When the contractions that help transport food through the intestines become longer and more sustained than necessary, this could result in excess gas and pain. Furthermore, it has been proven that those who suffer from IBS have an increased white cell count in their intestines, which can lead to increased inflammation, especially after eating certain foods. This immune response may cause inflammation, pain, and diarrhea. Subsequently, diarrhea caused by the inflammation can contribute to producing intestinal infections and a surplus of bacteria in the intestines, further complicating the symptoms. Eventually, the gut microbiota in a person with IBS is radically different than that of a healthy person and is one of the methods through which this chronic condition is diagnosed.

Triggers

As we mentioned above, while the causes of the disease are unknown, there are certain factors that can trigger its symptoms.

Interestingly enough, while the symptoms are similar to a food allergy, this is not the nature of IBS. However, there is anecdotal evidence that suggests the symptoms flare up after eating certain foods, including wheat, dairy products, citrus fruits, milk, and carbonated drinks. However, the most important trigger of IBS symptoms is stress. It is important to note that, despite stress aggravating the symptoms, it’s not the cause of IBS itself.

There is also a hormonal aspect involved in the aggravation of IBS, as women are twice as likely to suffer from this condition in relation to men. Specifically, most female patients state that their first experience with an IBS episode was shortly after their menstrual period. This suggests that hormonal changes in the body play a pivotal role in the development of this disease.

Treatment

IBS is a chronic condition that remains with the person throughout their entire lives. Thankfully, while this means that they are prone to experiencing its symptoms, there are ways to prevent them from manifesting or to limit their effects.

Since the main trigger of this condition is stress, the patient may seek a therapist where they can learn techniques to manage and reduce stress. By talking out their issues, they can also remove stress in their daily lives, improving the symptoms of IBS. Some other tools that can be acquired through counseling, especially with a psychiatrist, include progressive relaxation exercises, and mindfulness training. These techniques are all meant to help the patient control and reduce their levels of stress at all times, which helps them to keep their condition in check.

Lastly, a gastroenterologist may also suggest performing biofeedback to determine which muscles activate in every IBS episode, and what exactly helps the muscles to relax in order to improve the symptoms.