In medicine (gastroenterology), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or spastic colon is a group of functional bowel disorders which are fairly common and make up 20–50% of visits to gastroenterologists. There are three forms, dependant on which symptom predominates: diarrhea-predominant (IBS-D), constipation-predominant (IBS-C) and IBS with alternating stool pattern (IBS-A).
Features
Symptoms of IBS are abdominal pain or discomfort associated with changes in bowel habits in the absence of any structural abnormality. Colonic hypersensitivity is a sensitive but less specific sign of IBS. The pain is typically relieved by defecating.
There appears to be an overlap of IBS with stress, chronic pelvic pain, fibromyalgia and various mental disorders (in a small minority). While no good explanation for this phenomenon exists, it does strengthen the view that there is a neurological component to IBS.
Common GI Disorders
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