What Is IBS?
Irritable bowel syndrome:- ibs awareness month- april
Do you have the abcs of irritable bowel syndrome?
April is a ibs awareness month!
Ibs is a long time functional gastrointestinal disorder with symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, altered bowel habit like diarrhoea/constipation. It can effect any age. Patient feels better after passing stool. There may be mucous in stool but without blood. Common cause is infection & lactose intolerance Generally diagnosis is made by detailed history and examination.
Investigation:- stool examination and investigation required as per history
Treatment:- diet modification with avoidance of milk/ fatty meal, treatment of infection if suspected, sometimes patients require short course of ssri. So basically treatment depends on case to case basis, depending on clinical situation.
Remember it can be cured!
**one important aspect of diagnosis of ibs is identifying alarming signs which are weight loss, blood in stool, reduced appetite & fever (if these features are present, most likely its not irritable bowel syndrome)