Irritable Bowel Syndrome Causes

Do you feel the need of a bowel movement even after you’ve already had one? Do you often have abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea first thing in the morning or just after you finished your meal? If yes, then chances are that you might be suffering from irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. In this form of digestive disorder, your intestines either squeeze too hard or not hard enough. At times, the undigested stomach contents rush through your system causing cramps and diarrhea, making you desperate to find a restroom. This is known as diarrhea dominant IBS. At other times, your sluggish intestines allow the food to stay in it for a much longer duration, leading to conditions such as constipation, bloating, stomach gurgling, gas, nausea or heartburn. This is known as constipation dominant IBS.

 

One should however keep in mind that irritable bowel syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion, which is a medical condition whose presence cannot be confidently established, even after examining the patient. Although there is no specific cure for IBS, certain treatment procedures such as dietary modifications, medication and psychological intervention help to relieve the symptoms. In order to make the treatment successful, patient education and a healthy doctor-patient relation is a prime necessity. Although IBS does not lead to further complications, its chronic nature increases a patient’s medical costs, forcing him/her to remain absent from work, eventually affecting the quality of life. IBS symptoms begin showing at the age of 20-30 years and is mostly found in women. Now, you may ask that what actually causes irritable bowel syndrome. Although the specific cause of IBS is yet to be detected, a number of hypotheses have been proposed. Read on to know what they actually are.