Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Options

What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

The term Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) describes a functional bowel disorder characterized by recurrent abdominal pain, bloating, and/or changes in bowel movements. According to guidelines, IBS is diagnosed when the following three criteria are met:

1. There are chronic symptoms, lasting more than 3 months, such as abdominal pain or bloating, which are related to the bowel and are usually accompanied by changes in bowel movements.
2. The symptoms lead the patient to seek help and/or cause worry, and they are severe enough to significantly impair quality of life.
3. It is required that there are no characteristic changes of other diseases that could be responsible for these symptoms.

Important to know: IBS is not life-threatening and is generally not harmful to the patient's health. However, the condition should be taken seriously and treated, as it can significantly impact quality of life. The symptoms themselves, as well as frequent doctor visits for exclusion diagnosis and therapy, along with frequent work absences, are a significant burden on patients.

IBS Symptoms

Depending on the dominant symptom, four types of IBS are distinguished:

• IBS-D with diarrhea as the main symptom
• IBS-C with constipation as the main symptom
• IBS-P with pain as the main symptom
• IBS-M with alternating diarrhea and constipation

Depending on the type, affected individuals may experience the following characteristic symptoms:

• Cramping abdominal pain, especially after a meal or during stressful situations
• Diarrhea, constipation, or both alternately
• Bloating and a feeling of fullness
• Food intolerances, although no intolerance can be diagnosed

Additional symptoms often include fatigue and exhaustion, back pain, migraines, sleep disturbances, menstrual problems, as well as psychological issues such as anxiety and depression.

Causes of IBS

The exact causes of IBS are still unclear. It is believed that many different factors contribute to the development of the condition. Potential factors include inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, disturbances in gut flora, altered bowel motility, hypersensitivity of the intestinal nerves, as well as stress or acute infections like diarrhea.

How IBS is Diagnosed

Diagnosis begins with a thorough medical history that records all of the patient's symptoms and compares them to possible IBS symptoms.

A definitive diagnosis requires ruling out all other diseases that could cause the symptoms, especially chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, celiac disease, and intolerances to lactose or fructose.

In addition to physical examinations, keeping a food and symptom diary can be particularly helpful.

What Helps with IBS?

Once IBS is confidently diagnosed, treatment focuses on symptom relief due to the unclear cause. Since there is no standard therapy, it must be determined on an individual basis what measures help the patient. Options include relaxation techniques, peppermint oil capsules for pain and bloating, or probiotics with lactic acid and bifidobacteria to support gut flora. Professional nutritional counseling can help identify potentially problematic foods and may recommend specific diets to alleviate symptoms.