Irritable bowel syndrome is a problem that causes inflammation of the intestinal villi, causing symptoms such as pain, bloating, excessive gas and periods of constipation or diarrhea. These symptoms usually worsen due to various causes, ranging from stressful situations to the ingestion of some foods.
Thus, although this syndrome has no cure, it can be controlled with changes in diet and decreased levels of stress, for example. Only in those cases where the symptoms do not improve with some changes in the day to day is that the gastroenterologist recommends the use of medicines.
The frequent presence of the symptoms can worry the person with the irritated bowel, however, the syndrome does not cause any type of alteration in the intestines and, therefore, besides the discomfort, this problem is not dangerous for the health, nor it increases the risk of have cancer.
What are the main symptoms
One can be wary of this problem whenever there are constant changes in bowel functioning, with no apparent cause. So if you think you might have this problem, select your symptoms:
- 1. Frequent abdominal pain or cramping Yes No
- 2. Feeling of swollen belly Yes No
- 3. Excessive production of intestinal gases Yes No
- 4. Periods of diarrhea, intercut with constipation Yes No
- 5. Increased number of bowel movements per day Yes No
- 6. Feces with gelatinous secretion Yes No
It is possible that not all symptoms are present at the same time, and it is recommended to evaluate the symptoms over 3 months, for example. In addition, there may be days when the symptoms worsen and others where they improve or even disappear completely.
How is the diagnosis made?
As this syndrome does not cause changes in the lining of the intestine, diagnosis is usually made by observing the symptoms and excluding other gastrointestinal diseases, such as colitis or Crohn's disease, for example. For this, the doctor may indicate the performance of exams, such as stool study, colonoscopy, CT scan or blood test.
What may make your symptoms worse
The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome may appear without any specific cause, however, in most cases they worsen due to factors such as:
- Intake of bread, coffee, chocolate, alcohol, soft drinks, processed food or milk and milk products;
- Eat a diet high in protein or fiber;
- Eating too much food or too much fatty food;
- Periods of great stress and anxiety;
In addition, some people may also notice worsening symptoms whenever they travel, try new foods or eat too fast.
Learn how you can adapt your diet to improve irritable bowel symptoms.
What to do if you have an irritable bowel
The most important when you discover irritable bowel syndrome is to try to identify what worsens or causes the symptoms to appear so that you can make changes on a daily basis and avoid these situations.
In cases where the symptoms are very strong or do not improve with changes in lifestyle, the gastroenterologist may prescribe the use of remedies for diarrhea, laxatives, if the individual is constipated, antispasmodic remedies or antibiotics, for example. See more details on how the treatment for irritable bowel syndrome is done.
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