The most common symptoms that IBS patients complain of are: frequent diarrhea, abdominal pain (usually in the lower abdomen area), gas, bloating, diarrhea alternating with constipation, mucus in the stool, bowel urgency or incontinence, and a feeling of incomplete evacuation after a bowel movement. Since IBS is considered mainly to be a disorder of the lower gastrointestinal tract, the symptoms tend to remain located below the navel.

Recent physiological and psychosocial data have emerged to improve our understanding of IBS. A biopsychosocial model of IBS involving physiological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral factors is now felt to be involved in symptom generation.

The treatment of IBS is based on the severity and the nature of each person's symptoms and the effect psychosocial factors are having on their illness behavior. Therefore, each person's therapy is tailored to their symptoms and may include one or more of the following: lifestyle changes, pharmacological treatment, and psychological treatment. Therefore, there really is no one good general treatment for IBS.

What to expect from the colonoscopy test which is commonly used to diagnose diseases and conditions in the colon. Information about the fecal occult blood test, including what it is, what it's used for, preparation, how it's done, and the risks involved. Skin disorders are a fairly common problem, and may affect up to 25% of people who suffer from IBD. Skin disorders that may occur in IBD include pyoderma gangrenosum and erythema nodosum.

IBS is not a contagious illness or life-threatening disease, but it is a real medical disorder that can cause painful symptoms and compromise a person's quality of life.

There is no way to prevent IBS, since it is not a disease but an intestinal disorder. You can only prevent the symptoms from becoming more severe or avoid triggering the symptoms by changing your diet or reducing stress.

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IBS affects between 25 and 55 million people in theUnited States and results in 2.5 to 3.5 million yearly visits to physicians. Approximately 20 to 40 percent of all visits to gastroenterologists are due to IBS symptoms. IBS symptoms affects men and women of all ages and of all races. The prevalence of IBS in the general population of Western countries varies from 6 to 22%. IBS affects 14-24% of women and 5-19% of men.

No, however, IBS is serious. Patients with IBS have a higher rate of hospitalizations, work absenteeism, feelings of poor quality of life, and abdominal surgeries than healthy controls and patients with other gastrointestinal illnesses. In the general population, people with IBS symptoms missed more than 3 times as many work days than did people without bowel symptoms.

IBS is a common intestinal problem, particularly for women. It is said that the true impact of Irritable Bowel Syndrome can range from a mild nuisance to severe