Common Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Although many IBS sufferers get similar symptoms, each individual with IBS has his own unique set of symptoms.

IBS presents in a wide spectrum of severity. For some people, it may just be an occasional mild episode or nuisance. For others, it can be a debilitating illness that causes frequent absenteeism from work.

The most common symptoms of IBS are as follows:

1. Altered bowel movements/habits:

Some people with IBS have constipation (difficult or infrequent bowel movements, hard stools); others have diarrhea frequent loose stools, often with an urgent need to move the bowels); and some people experience both, for example, several weeks of constipation followed by a few days of diarrhea. Diarrhea typically occurs immediately after a meal or when getting up in the morning. Sometimes people with IBS pass mucus with their bowel movements.

2. Abdominal pain and cramps:

The abdominal discomfort of an irritable bowel ranges from a sharp, cramps to a continuous, dull ache. Common sites of pain include the lower abdomen, specifically the left lower quadrant. Meals may precipitate pain while pain is commonly relieved by defecation.

3. Gas formation, bloating, abdominal distention:

Patients frequently report increased amounts of bloating and gas and distended feeling.

4. Urgency:

Sometimes the person with IBS has a cramp and an urge to move the bowels but cannot do so.

5. The sensation of incomplete evacuation:

The patient feels like he still needs to have a bowel movement after he has already had one.(incomplete evacuation)

6. Extra-colonial symptoms:

In addition, a number of other symptoms not directly related to the bowel may be present in patients with IBS. These include: nausea (with or without vomiting), feeling full after eating only a small meal, difficulty swallowing, a sensation of a lump in the throat or closing of the throat, heartburn or acid indigestion, chest pain, the sensation of urinary urgency, incomplete emptying after urinating, fatigue and generalized body ache or muscular pains, and pain during sexual intercourse.

Bleeding, fever, weight loss, and persistent severe pain are not symptoms of IBS but may indicate other problems.

Homeopathy effectively manages various symptoms of IBS gently and safely.