Feature Article
IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome?
 

April is IBS awareness month but unfortunately, IBS happens year round. Irritable bowel syndrome (or “IBS”) is a condition characterized by abdominal discomfort and changes in bowel function.  There are multiple symptom patterns, with some people experiencing constipation, others diarrhea, and some both.  IBS is very common, affecting 10 to 15% of the American population.  Women are more commonly affected than men, and symptoms most commonly develop in the teenage or young adult years.

The spectrum of IBS symptoms may include:

 

- Abdominal pain or cramps, usually occurring in relation to a bowel movement

- Diarrhea or constipation; some patients with “mixed IBS” alternate between both

- Abdominal bloating

- Excessive or uncomfortable gas

 

The cause of IBS is unknown, although it is felt that most patients have alterations in their intestinal motility (ability to contract and move) and sensory function.  There is no specific test to diagnose IBS. In most cases your doctor can determine if you have IBS simply by taking your medical history.  On occasion, it may be necessary to run tests to make sure you do not have other common gut conditions such as celiac disease (gluten sensitivity), lactose intolerance, peptic ulcer disease or other disorders the symptoms of which may overlap with those of IBS.

 

There are some simple things that patients with IBS can do to help themselves feel better.

  • Maintain a food and symptom diary to help you understand the correlation between individual foods or activities and your symptoms.
  • Minimize of eliminate on a trial basis individual foods that may be making your symptoms worse.  These may include milk products, caffeinated and carbonated beverages, or foods that give you more gas.
  • If you have constipation, add more fiber to your diet, starting with fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods; you can also use fiber supplements available at the grocery store or pharmacy.  Some IBS patients experience more gas or pain with increased fiber and if they do should cut back.
  • Engage in physical exercise on a regular basis.

Although there is no cure for IBS, lifestyle and diet interventions coupled with medicines can reduce symptoms to a tolerable level or even eliminate them.  Most patients have the condition throughout their lives but, working with their doctor, find ways to improve.

 

Treatments that can help control IBS include medicines to ease diarrhea, medicines to decrease constipation, antispasmodic agents, and antidepressants, which are given to block pain, usually at doses lower than those used to treat depression. 

 

Antibiotics are also occasionally useful, especially in those patients found to have excessive growth of small intestinal bacteria.  In addition, counseling may help some patients with IBS, since emotional stressors are a common trigger for IBS symptoms.

 

If you feel you may have IBS, call your primary provider to arrange an evaluation.  Patients with long-term problematic symptoms or other issues may be referred to a gastroenterologist for additional evaluation and treatment.

 

Click here to find a Primary Care doctor at UT Health San Antonio.

 

By Glenn Gross, MD, FACP, Chief, Division of Gastroenterology & Nutrition
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