Tag: Diagnosis

Truths about IBS

Despite being one of the most commonly diagnosed problems in the country, there are still a lot of misinformation about irritable bowel syndrome, or what doctors call succinctly as IBS.

It may come as a surprise but irritable bowel syndrome actually affects one out of five people in the United States. These statistics translate to about 20 percent of the population. That is a pretty high prevalence considering that not much is known about the disease and misdiagnosis or even under diagnosis is possible.

Experts agree that numbers can still go up if people are made aware about the problem. Because the symptoms are quite common, and nothing much is known about irritable bowel syndrome, most people will mistake IBS for another problem.

Unlike other diseases that may be caused by an organism, bacteria or virus, irritable bowel syndrome is not caused by anything and if it caused by something. medical experts have no discovered that fact. In truth, doctors are stumped on what exactly starts off irritable bowel syndrome. One theory is that the large intestines of patients suffering from the illness are overly sensitive, as to what made it extra sensitive no one knows. Because of the extreme sensitiveness, the smallest and most minor of changes are recorded. The body will then react to these changes in the form of problems in the bowel movements.

There are some factors that trigger the exacerbation of the problem but are not considered as direct cause. One of them is stress. Stress changes a lot in the body system because the body compensates for the change. Stress is already known to wreak havoc to the systems of the body. Another suspected culprit is milk and milk products that are known to cause problems in the digestive track especially if one is lactose intolerant. There are also some food items that are said to trigger the problem.

Remember though that these three are not causes but rather factors that can trigger an already existing condition. There is a vast difference between these two.

Perhaps because there is no known cause, there is also no prescribed treatment for the problem. Rather doctors are free to recommend any course of treatment that they feel will benefit the patient. Most often, doctors will prescribed a medicine that contains fibers to help ease the constipation. Some doctors however will stick to the natural way by prescribing a diet that contains food items that have natural fibers.

The Unknown Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is a body dysfunction that is characterized by problems with the excretion of solid body wastes. Although not much people actually know that such a condition exists, it is nevertheless quite common, affecting one out of five Americans, placing it as one of the most common problems diagnosed by the doctor.

There is actually no gender or age factor involved with irritable bowel syndrome. Everybody can be afflicted. Still, statistics show that there are more women who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome compared to men. Most people diagnosed have also traced their symptoms back to when they were not yet twenty years old.

If you are under the impression that constipation and diarrhea are the main symptoms, you are wrong. Because there are a lot of body problems that may result in constipation and diarrhea, medical experts placed these two as secondary symptoms. What the doctor must have in order to make a diagnosis is the occurrence of abdominal pain. There may also be bloating especially if the person has not been able to excrete waste materials for a long time.

What makes it harder to detect is the fact that symptoms for most people are not so severe. Most in fact do not even know that they have irritable bowel syndrome. This is why little is known about this problem despite its prevalence. Most people who do experience the symptoms, they are quick to dismiss them as mere food poisoning. They dont know the constipation and pain that they feel is an entirely different matter.

Causes of irritable bowel syndrome

Until now, there is still no clear answer what exactly causes irritable bowel syndrome. Medical experts are still stumped as to why such a condition occurs. Unlike some diseases and other medical condition, which is caused by a bacterial or viral infection, irritable bowel syndrome is not caused by one culprit.

Research on the problem has mentioned a large intestine, the part of the digestive system that regulates the passage of the body wastes, that is awfully sensitive. It seems that the large intestines of people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome is more easily reactive to stimulation, which in turn can affect the bowel movement.

Stress is often attributed with irritable bowel syndrome. There are also studies that suggest the role of some food items that may trigger the problem.

The Unknown Cause Of IBS

Not many people know about irritable bowel syndrome. Perhaps because not much is known about it despite the fact that it affects a lot of people. In fact, statistics in the United States have shown that one out of five people suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. That is roughly about 20 percent of the population. That is pretty prevalent for a disease that is not so known.

In fact, most doctors believe that the numbers should be even higher. The lack of information has contributed to a lot of misdiagnosis and under diagnosis. Patients, it seems, do not even know that they have irritable bowel syndrome until after a few years when the symptoms are already getting out of hand.

With irritable bowel syndrome, the symptoms are often mild. In fact, among patients suffering from the disorder, about 70 percent of them only have mild symptoms at the onset. This is the reason why the problem is not detected early on.

Irritable bowel syndrome does not have a specific cause. Up until now, doctors cannot still pinpoint what causes the problem in the first place. Although much research has already been done about, there is still no clear cut answer as to what exactly starts off the problem. One existing theory in the medical profession is that people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome have very sensitive large intestines or colon. Because of this increased sensitiveness, minor changes in the chemicals and substances that enter the chamber sets off a series of reactions that affect the movement of bowel in the body. Another possibility is the role of stress in the problem.

This happens when stress brings on changes with how the body responds and work internally. Although stress is not the cause, many still believe that easing stress can significantly improve the condition. This is true. In fact, some doctors also recommend undergoing some psychotherapy to help the patient deal with some of the stressors in his life. Another triggering factor that are being researched upon are milk and other milk products that are said to often trigger irritable bowel syndrome.

Because irritable bowel syndrome has no specific cause, diagnosis often relies on the account of symptoms that come from the patient was well as the medical history. There is no specific test that can detect the occurrence of irritable bowel syndrome. The most that doctors do is to make sure that other problems are not causing the symptoms. Hence, they will give you a number of tests designed to test other diseases and not irritable bowel syndrome.

Do You Have Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is perhaps one of the hardest to diagnose especially if the symptoms are mild that few people think that they even exist at all. But the symptoms are there.

Most cases of irritable bowel syndrome are actually not reported probably because most people will not be able to connect this kind of problem with a dysfunction in the bowel system, the part which takes care of the storage and excretion of solid wastes of the body. Because of its strong connection with body wastes, most people are quick to dismiss the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome as something brought about by the food that they ate or the time that they ate their food. But this is not the case.

Unlike diarrhea which is caused by a bacteria that people have ingested accidentally, irritable bowel syndrome is not a disease or an illness. It is a body dysfunction that is often associated with overly sensitive bowel areas. Slightest movement can trigger contractions that may lead to constipation. Sometimes, nerves are also affected that diarrhea occurs.

There is actually no known cause for Irritable bowel syndrome. Up until now, medical experts have not yet come up with answers to the question on where it comes from. All they know is that stress and food can sometimes trigger an attack.

Diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome is dependent on the symptoms present. Symptoms should be detected accurately as doctors often base their diagnosis on the symptoms alone.

In irritable bowel syndrome, there is often abdominal pain and bloating. These are the main symptoms of IBS. The rest of the other symptoms are only there to lend support to the diagnosis. Remember that there is actually no test that can confirm diagnosis. Oftentimes, the doctor will rely on the staff to get some results.

Constipation and diarrhea are actually only secondary symptoms. People suffering from irritable bowel syndrome may have infrequent bowel excretion. If course, as to what degree, the problem depends on the person as symptoms may vary from one to another. Some find it hard to excrete their wastes while others cannot excrete them at all. Mucus, a substance that moistens the passageway of bowels in the body may also be found with the excretion. There are also some who suffer from diarrhea instead of constipation. With this condition, the person will have frequent watery stools.