Constipation is when bowel movements are not frequent enough less than three per week or hard to pass. Diarrhea, on the other hand, is when the stools are loose and watery.
It is not uncommon to have a short episode of constipation or diarrhea, but these conditions are more serious when they are chronic. Chronic constipation or diarrhea usually indicates an underlying problem. Contact your doctor sooner if you see blood in your stools.
You should also let your doctor know right away if you think that a new medication could be causing you to become constipated. Sometimes, diarrhea is accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, or fever, depending on the underlying cause.
Adults should contact their doctor if diarrhea lasts more than a few days. However, diarrhea in babies and children can quickly cause dehydration. If your child has diarrhea for 24 hours or shows symptoms of dehydration, contact the pediatrician right away. It can be ongoing or episodic, present sharply and resolve rapidly, occur occasionally or frequently, and move from one location in the bowel to another very quickly.
Digestive pain often occurs following a meal and can last for hours. Those who have IBS tend to have a quicker and more intense reaction to digestive tract pain stimuli than do those who do not have IBS. Results of a survey we conducted — with 2, qualified respondents — showed that there is a wide range of pain levels among those who have IBS.
Symptoms occurring outside of the digestive tract that might be related to IBS include sleep disturbances, fibromyalgia, back pain, chronic pelvic pain, interstitial cystitis, temporomandibular joint disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and migraine headaches.
Female patients who have IBS have also reported discomfort during sexual intercourse dyspareunia. The majority of people with IBS indicate that their symptoms interfere with everyday life. Those with IBS-D or IBS-M often feel they cannot engage in work or social activities away from home unless they are certain there are easily accessible bathroom facilities available.
Some individuals with IBS-C are often in such pain that they find even slight body movements uncomfortable. Pain and frequent bowel movements or preoccupation with an inability to eliminate stool may make school, work, and social situations difficult. Individuals with IBS might experience a diverse range of emotions related to the condition that vary in intensity, and may include anxiety, depression, shame, fear, self-blame, guilt, anger, and loss of self-esteem.
Fortunately, psychological management of IBS can often help reduce these symptoms. As the symptoms of IBS are varied and there are no specific physical tests to determine whether a patient has IBS, part of the diagnostic process is to rule out other diseases.
Typically, your physician will take the following steps to reach an IBS diagnosis:. Medical History: Your physician will review your medical history, considering bowel function pattern, the nature and onset of symptoms, the presence or absence of other symptoms, and warning signs that might indicate some other diagnosis.
It is important to note what symptoms do not relate to IBS, which include weight loss, blood in the stool, and fever. If the need to defecate wakes you from your sleep, you should report this to your physician as it is not typical of IBS and could have other implications.
Physical Examination: During a physical evaluation, the bowel may have involuntary jerky muscular contractions spastic and seem tender; although the physical health of the bowel usually appears normal in other respects.
Investigative Testing: A physician might request tests to rule out other possible diseases. The scope is made of a hollow, flexible tube with a tiny light and video camera. The physician may also request routine blood and stool tests to rule out known organic diseases. Some symptoms of celiac disease overlap those of IBS, so a family history of this disease might be a reason to test for it. While we do not know for sure what causes IBS, it is a multifactorial disorder that likely involves an interaction between the GI tract, bacteria in the gut, the nervous system, and external factors, such as stress.
The GI system is very sensitive to adrenalin — the hormone released when one is excited, fearful, or anxious — and to other hormones as well. Changes in female hormone levels also affect the GI tract, so IBS symptoms may worsen at specific times throughout the menstrual cycle. Since these hormones can affect the transit time of food through the digestive tract, this might account for the predominance of IBS in women, although direct evidence is still lacking.
While irritable bowel syndrome is chronic and painful, there is no evidence for a relationship between this disorder and an increased risk of more serious bowel conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease or colorectal cancer.
The GI tract is an extremely complex system, influenced by many nerves and hormones. It is clear that the types of food eaten, the frequency and environment of eating, as well as various medications affect both the secretions and motility of the intestine. The most important aspect of IBS treatment is to understand the unique nature of your symptoms and any potential aggravating or triggering factors. It is also helpful to recognize that it may take time before bowel function returns to a more normal state, and symptoms could resolve and then recur.
The bowel responds to how and when a person eats, so it is important to eat regular, well-balanced, moderately sized meals rather than erratic, variable meals. Occasionally, IBS symptoms improve by allowing sufficient time for regular eating and bathroom routines. In addition, maintaining a healthy sleep schedule and getting a moderate amount of exercise can help reduce symptoms. Some individuals report that dietary fats and the food additive monosodium glutamate MSG trigger symptoms.
Some find symptoms worsen when consuming large quantities of liquids with meals. Others find that cooking vegetables and fruits lessens IBS symptoms, compared to when eating them raw.
It also helps the bowel function better and improves overall health. Meditation, yoga, and massage may also help. For more information about irritable bowel syndrome IBS , call the OWH Helpline at or contact the following organizations:.
Department of Health and Human Services. ET closed on federal holidays. Breadcrumb Home A-Z health topics Irritable bowel syndrome. Irritable bowel syndrome.
Irritable bowel syndrome Irritable bowel syndrome IBS is a collection of symptoms such as cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. What is irritable bowel syndrome IBS? What causes IBS? Who gets IBS?
What are the symptoms of IBS? How is IBS diagnosed? What is the treatment for IBS? There is no cure for IBS, but there are things you can do to feel better. Find out which foods make your symptoms worse by writing in a journal: What you eat during the day What symptoms you have When symptoms occur You will want to limit or avoid these foods.
Problem foods may be: Milk and milk products like cheese or ice cream Caffeinated drinks like coffee Carbonated drinks like soda, especially those that contain artificial sweeteners like sorbitol or high-fructose corn syrup Alcohol Some fruits and vegetables Other ways to ease symptoms are: Eating a healthy, balanced diet.
Eating more high-fiber foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables especially for people with constipation. Add foods with fiber to your diet a little at a time to let your body get used to them. Additionally, another study found that anxiety reduction therapy reduced stress and IBS symptoms IBS can produce a vicious cycle of digestive symptoms that increase anxiety and anxiety that increases digestive symptoms.
Tackling anxiety can help reduce other symptoms. If you have symptoms of IBS that interfere with your quality of life, visit a primary care doctor near you, who can help diagnose IBS and rule out other diseases that mimic it. IBS is diagnosed by recurrent abdominal pain for at least 6 months, combined with weekly pain for 3 months as well as some combination of pain relieved by bowel movements and changes in frequency or form of bowel movements.
Your doctor may refer you to a gastroenterologist, a specialist in digestive diseases, who can help you identify triggers and discuss ways to control your symptoms. Lifestyle changes, such as a low-FODMAPs diet , stress relief, exercise, drinking plenty of water and over-the-counter laxatives can also help.
Identifying other trigger foods can be difficult, as these are different for each person. Keeping a diary of meals and ingredients can help identify triggers 38 , 39 , Probiotic supplements may also reduce symptoms Additionally, avoiding digestive stimulants, such as caffeine, alcohol and sugary beverages, can reduce symptoms in some people If you think you have IBS, consider keeping a journal of foods and symptoms.
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