All of us experience abdominal discomfort at one time or another. Restaurants may not cook something properly or you may order something exotic that you’ve never tried before – with disastrous results. Because you love the taste, you may eat something that disagrees with you and spend the night in pain.
But what if the bowel pain keeps coming back? Or you experience a relief that turns out to be fleeting before the next onset ofabdominal cramps, or that gnawing discomfort that makes you want to stay at home, near the bathroom?
If these things sound familiar, you may be experiencing Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms.
Abdominal pain is only one of the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. You may also notice that your pants aren’t quite fitting in the same way, that you feel bloated. Or you feel full before you’ve finished half your meal. Maybe you’ve been passing gasmore frequently than you used to, and you find yourself rumbling like Mount St Helens.
But the worst part? Running for the bathroom. Always scouting for the toilet. Getting stuck on a city street with no public restrooms. If you make the sprint to the toilet more than three times per day, you have diarrhea. The diarrhea can come without warning, and can put you in some awkward situations. But although it can also make the pain go away, you may not know when you are finished because the irritable bowel movement may feel incomplete.
Alternately, you may feel like you need to go, but can’t. You might spend a half hour in the bathroom, only to be disappointed. And when you do go, your stool is rock hard. If you have a bowel movement fewer than three times per week, this is, most certainly,constipation. Constipation is often painful, causing sharp pains and excessive bloating. But if it alternates with diarrhea (which it sometimes can), you never know what’s coming.
Researchers believe that these symptoms occur because the nerves that control sensation or muscle contractions in the bowels are functioning abnormally, or are not communicating with the brain properly. The heightened sensitivity of these nerves leads to pain and discomfort. While there is no known direct cause to blame, certain foods, medications, and stress can trigger symptoms of Irritable Bowel.
If these symptoms of IBS sound familiar, see your doctor. While there is no definitiveIBS test that can be done to identify the syndrome itself, it is a good idea to rule out things like inflammatory bowel disease. If you are experiencing anemia, blood in stool, or fever, see your doctor immediately. These are not characteristic of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and can be indicators of other diseases.
If you are experiencing these symptoms and believe you may have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, there are things you can do to alleviate your symptoms. The most effective action you can take is to change your lifestyle. You can learn to monitor what you eat. You can even find ways to reduce your stress level, which will calm your overactive bowel nerves. Medications and over the counter IBS remedies (such as fiber if you have constipation and antidiarrheals if you have diarrhea) can also help. So while there is no known cure for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, there is hope because these symptoms can be managed.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome affects 35 million Americans. 10-20% of the world’s population has symptoms associated with IBS. It ranks second only to the common cold as the most common reason take off work. So you are not alone!
Other than seeking help from your doctor, a dietitian and/or psychologist can help you make lifestyle changes. There are hospital-based support groups, online bloggers and forums to turn to for advice and consolation.
Take heart – while there is no miracle pill and no easy fix-it surgical option, you can overcome the awkward and disruptive symptoms to lead a fulfilling life.