Some people have symptoms every day, while others experience long symptom-free periods. IBS does not lead to serious disease, but it does significantly affect your quality of life.
The symptoms of IBS may be constant, or they can come and go. There may even be times when it seems your tummy woes have disappeared. Then IBS symptoms flare up again.
The exact cause is unknown – it's been linked to things like food passing through your gut too quickly or too slowly, oversensitive nerves in your gut, stress and a family history of IBS.
stomach pain or cramps – usually worse after eating and better after doing a poo. bloating – your tummy may feel uncomfortably full and swollen. diarrhoea – you may have watery poo and sometimes need to poo suddenly. constipation – you may strain when pooing and feel like you cannot empty your bowels fully.
Non-GI Symptoms
Sleep difficulties. Muscle aches. Cold, clammy, or trembling hands. Heart palpitations.
While IBS pain can be felt in multiple places around the body, it is most commonly experienced in the lower abdomen (an area of the body that stretches from the chest down to the pelvis). IBS pain can occur after eating and may be relieved or worsen after a bowel movement.
Patients with IBS may describe the abdominal discomfort in different ways, such as sharp pain, cramping, bloating, distention, fullness or even burning. The pain may be triggered by eating specific foods, following a meal, emotional stress, constipation or diarrhea.
These include sluggishness, backache, urinary problems, gynaecological problems, nausea, joint pains, pain and clicking in the jaw and pain in the muscles while chewing.
While irritable bowel syndrome is not life-threatening, if left untreated it can lead to hemorrhoids, mood disorders and impact quality of life for anyone who suffers from it. Irritable bowel syndrome affects about 10 – 15 percent of the worldwide population.
It is well known that dietary FODMAPs can trigger gut symptoms in people with IBS. However, as FODMAPs have their effects mostly in the small and large intestine, it usually takes at least 4 hours after eating a high FODMAP meal for FODMAP-related symptoms to occur (see blog on timing of symptoms here).
Unfortunately, you cannot self-diagnose IBS. However, there are some online IBS diagnosis questionnaires that you can take to assess your current condition. Nevertheless, these quizzes are never a substitute for a diagnosis from a doctor, as each IBS diagnosis and treatment plan is individual.
As well as the main symptoms described above, some people with IBS experience a number of other problems. These can include: a lack of energy (lethargy) feeling sick.
An irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) attack can happen at almost any time. Stomach pain is one of the main symptoms, along with drastic changes to a person's bowel movements. Sometimes, an attack can be related to stress or the food a person has eaten. Other times, it may be random with no clear trigger.
For example, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can cause a person's digestive tract to move food through their system at a much faster rate. Other conditions that could cause a person to pass stool more quickly than average include: food allergies and food intolerances.
Most people will experience a 'flare-up' of symptoms, lasting between 2-4 days, after which the symptoms improve, or disappear altogether. For reasons that are not completely understood, IBS can also cause symptoms in other parts of your body, as well as in your bowel.
Tips for an IBS-Friendly Diet
Try eating smaller meals, more often, spread throughout your day. Instead of 3 meals, try 5 or 6 regularly scheduled small meals. Slow down; don't rush through meals. Avoid meals that over-stimulate everyone's gut, like large meals or high-fat foods.
They believe that the pain is not a symptom of something that can lead to death. There is no visible harm to your digestive tract that results from IBS symptoms. Now if you had IBD symptoms that would be a different matter and doctors would take your pain seriously.
Many people with IBS discover that their bowels seem to function like an 'emotional barometer', indicating how they feel about what is going on in their lives. Emotional tension always makes IBS worse. Anxiety, frustration, despair can all tie the guts in knots.
Main symptoms
The most common symptoms of IBS are: abdominal (stomach) pain and cramping, which may be relieved by moving your bowels. a change in your bowel habits – such as diarrhoea, constipation or sometimes both. bloating and swelling of your stomach.