What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common condition to affect the bowel. It is the bowel function that is abnormal as there is no structural abnormality. There have been a variety of names including spastic constipation, chronic irritable bowel syndrome, spastic colon, spastic colitis and mucous colitis. There is a spectrum of severity ranging from very minimal symptoms to distressing discomfort and pain. IBS may last a few years then disappear by itself.
When food is swallowed, it passes down to the stomach. Here it becomes a fluid that passes through to the small intestine where most of the nutrients are absorbed. The remaining waste products are collected in the colon and rectum, which is emptied during defaecation.
The intestine is a smooth muscle tube with a special inner lining facilitating nutrient absorption. The normal bowel propels its contents along by orderly, smooth-muscle contraction waves called peristalsis. When peristalsis is irregular, the patient may experience discomfort or pain, intermittent diarrhoea and constipation, bloating and flatulence (wind) and these are the typical symptoms of IBS.
How can we diagnose IBS?
Until the last few years, the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome was made only after full and extensive investigations showing no structural abnormality. Nowadays, full investigations are only required if there is doubt about the diagnosis from the clinical presentation. Typically, there must be more than three months of recurring or continuous abdominal pain or discomfort that is usually relieved after a bowel action (defaecation). The pain may be mild and infrequent or so severe that there is accompanying sweating or faintness. No single symptom is unique to IBS. There may be a change in Frequency of bowel action or change in stool consistency. Abdominal bloating or distension and passing mucus on the stool are also common.
All of the symptoms of IBS can occur with other bowel diseases and disorders and it is, therefore, important that the diagnosis should be made by a doctor. Examples of chronic bowel inflammatory diseases that could cause pain include Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and diverticulitis. Tumours of the bowel become more common as we get older so that an important consideration in deciding how far to investigate the symptoms is your age.
Evaluation of the quality of Web sites is discussed in
(Q4.27). You may find that several
general women's health sites may help you (internet information).
The following are more specialised relevant Web sites:-
IBS Support Groups:
- http://www. Angelfire.com/il/ibshelp/
- http://www. Ibsassociation.org/
- http://www. Ibsgroup.org/
- http://www. Panix.com/~ibs/
Please click on the required question.
- Pelvic Pain. Is this a common problem?
- What are the common causes of pelvic pain in women?
- What are the more common gynaecological causes of pelvic pain?
- What are the more common non-gynaecological causes of pelvic pain?
- What are primary and secondary dysmenorrhoea - painful periods?
- What is retrograde menstruation?
- How can dysmenorrhoea - painful periods be treated?
- What are ovarian cysts?
- How do ovarian cysts cause pain?
- How are ovarian cysts diagnosed?
- How are ovarian cysts treated?
- I think I may be pregnant and I have some pelvic pain. What should I do?
- What is pelvic inflammatory disease and how can it be treated?
- Mittelschmertz
- 14 What are fibroids?
- 15 I have fibroids. What difficulties might they cause for me?
- 16 How are fibroids diagnosed?
- 17 How could my fibroids be treated?
ENDOMETRIOSIS
- 18 What is endometriosis?
- 19 How prevalent is endometriosis?
- 20 What causes endometriosis?
- 21 How can my endometriosis be treated?
- 22 How can my doctor determine the cause of my pelvic pain?
- 23 What investigations might be recommended by my gynaecologist to investigate my pelvic pain?
- 24 What is laparoscopy?
- 25 What are pelvic adhesions?
- 26 I have chronic pelvic pain. Could this be related to adhesions?
- 27 What is uterine retroversion (retroverted uterus)
- 28 Does a retroverted uterus (backward tilted uterus) cause symptoms?
- 29 How is a retroverted uterus - backward tilted uterus - treated?
- 30 What is pelvic congestion?
- 31 What causes pain associated with sexual intercourse (dyspareunia)
- 32 How can painful sexual intercourse (dyspareunia) be treated?
- 33 What is a pelvic mass?
IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME - IBS
- 34 What is irritable bowel syndrome?
- 35 How can we find out if I have irritable bowel syndrome?
- 36 Is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) a common condition?
- 37 What causes IBS?
- 38 What is the pain associated with IBS like?
- 39 Can IBS be mistaken for gynaecological problems?
- 40 How can my IBS be treated?
- 41 What other treatments are available for IBS?
- 42 What can be done to reduce the amount of bowel gas(flatus)
- 43 What is constipation?
- 44 What causes constipation?
- 45 How can constipation be treated?
- 46 How could we summarise the treatments that are available for my pelvic pain?
- 47 Where can I obtain more information?
- 48 Pelvic Pain Support Groups.
- 49 Endometriosis Support Groups.
- 50 IBS Support Groups.
FIBROIDS
Thank you for choosing to visit us.
This is the personal website of David A Viniker MD FRCOG, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Whipps Cross University Hospital, London - Specialist Interests - Reproductive Medicine including Infertility, PCOS, PMS, Menopause and HRT.
I do hope that you find the answers to your women's health questions in the patient information and medical advice provided.
