Diagnosing Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is one of the most common disorders that people experience. Usually people experiencing IBS has intestines that either squeezes too hard or to too slowly which makes the food move out of the body too quickly or too slowly. Irritable Bowel Syndrome affects people starting around age of twenty and is more prevalent among women.

Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The most common symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome include:
1. Bloating and gas,
2. Presence of mucus in the stool,
3. Constipation,
4. Diarrhea that happens frequently in the morning,
5. Feeling that you have not fully completed a bowel movement after you have one,
6. Strong feeling or urge to move bowel
7. Abdominal pain
8. Cramping that often go away after a bowel movement

Different people exhibit different IBS symptoms. Some people may experience constipation while others may have diarrhea or both. Straining or cramping is common among IBS patients who cannot properly eliminate stool. Their inability to have a complete bowel movement causes them great discomfort and pain.

And in case that they were able to have a bowel movement, traces of mucus are visible on the stool. For patients with diarrhea, they usually have that urgent feeling or urge to have a bowel movement. There are also some IBS patients that have both constipation and diarrhea.

The symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome sometimes subside and then return again after a while. There are also cases of IBS that simply worsen over time.

How to Diagnose Irritable Bowel Syndrome

It is very important that you consult a doctor if you suspect that you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This is vital for the early detection of IBS symptoms. The diagnoses that are usually conducted to check Irritable Bowel Syndrome are based on a patient's comprehensive medical history or record, which contains descriptions of symptoms.

And since Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a disorder that affects the colon or the large intestines it is only logical that you visit or consult a gastroenterologist since it is an expert in treating diseases pertaining to the digestive system. Generally, gastroenterologists would perform colon test called colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy which makes use of an equipment that is consist of a flexible tube that has a camera at the end. This equipment is inserted in the anus to enable the doctor to see the inside of the colon better.

Likewise, physical examination results are also needed to diagnose IBS symptoms. The truth of the matter is that there are no really specific tests for IBS. The diagnostic tests that are performed are just to rule out the possibilities of other diseases. The tests for IBS include x-rays, stool sampling and blood testing.

If ever the tests results show negative the next thing that doctors do is to refer to their list of IBS symptoms to make their diagnosis. In addition there are some symptoms that may seem to connote Irritable Bowel Syndrome but in reality are symptoms of a different illness. Some of these symptoms may include bleeding, weight loss, severe pain and fever can indicate inflammation but definitely not Irritable Bowel Syndrome.