IBS

Everyone gets stomach upset. Not everyone has IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). April is IBS Awareness Month, when organizations like IFFGD (International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders) spread public awareness about IBS.

IBS is not a disease, but a disorder. It is one of the most common conditions seen by doctors, affecting 10-15% of the American population. “We see patients of all ages with IBS,” says Huntley internal medicine physician Dr. Moshé Zamir. “The majority do not start late in life… But we do see people 55 and older… There are older people that are quite bothered and disturbed by it.”

IBS is characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort, including a bloated or gaseous feeling, that may feel better after a bowel movement; and altered bowel habit—changes in frequency or consistency of stool. “Intermittent constipation and diarrhea,” says Dr. Zamir. “In some, it’s more often diarrhea than constipation, and in some other people, it’s the other way.”

The symptoms occur over a long period of time and may come and go. “You have to have it for at least twelve months,” says Dr. Zamir. “This distinguishes it from anybody who has food poisoning or something else. On and off for months or maybe more than a year.”

The exact cause of IBS is unknown, but there is an altered pattern of muscle contraction in the colon. Certain factors like stress and diet can influence or worsen IBS, but do not cause IBS.

Diagnosis is made by asking about your past history and doing a physical examination, but there are no tests to confirm the diagnosis.

“It is a condition where you don’t see anything on a colonoscopy or an X-ray,” says Dr. Zamir.

Though IBS is a long-term condition, each year approximately 10% of IBS sufferers get better. “There’s no medicine that will totally cure it and allay it,” says Dr. Zamir, “but we have treatment… These people should not be chronically ill. They are not very sick people that need surgery or are incapacitated by it. If they get the right treatment, they should be okay.”

For more information about IBS, contact IFFGD at iffgd.org.

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