Irritable bowel syndrome consists of a condition generally tending to become chronic, with a so-called multifactorial etiology, that is, dependent on the frequent concomitance of multiple factors. It affects almost 20% of the general population, preferring female sex and young age.
But when the intestine is mischievous, what do we feel? Let’s find out what happens when the intestine is mischievous, the Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Symptoms
Well, the most common symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are usually:
- Abdominal pain and cramps;
- Meteorism;
- Diarrhea and / or constipation;
- Feeling of incomplete intestinal emptying;
- Urgent evacuation after meals.
We must also say that the symptoms are not all that precise, actually having many more nuances in presentation, duration and subjectivity. However, the most important symptomatic elements remain pain, diarrheal or constipation.
Usually diarrhea depends on a too fast transit of digestive products through the colon, while constipation is the result of too slow transit
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome is confirmed where the manifestations previously described occur continuously or in any case recurrent. This for a period of at least 6 months.
Basically, the diagnosis can be made without necessarily having to resort to invasive and / or expensive diagnostic tests, resulting in more than enough a good medical history and a correct physical examination. Moreover, considering the fact that irritable bowel syndrome is usually of a functional nature and therefore not linked to specific organic alterations, and considering that the anxious attitude of the person concerned is an element in itself indicative, the use of particularly invasive diagnostic procedures ( colonoscopy for example) could generate in the patient an additional source of discomfort and therefore worsening of symptoms.
Nonetheless, it must be considered that sometimes such events can also be an indication of other far more demanding problems. This is why abdominal ultrasound, by virtue of the absence of invasiveness, should be used in cases where there may be something else at the basis of the pain.
When the intestines are mischievous, Irritable Bowel Syndrome
In the list of symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, rectal bleeding, fever, weight loss are not included. These usually form part of the symptom set of more serious pathologies. Pathologies starting from chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases (such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), to diverticular disease up to neoplastic pathologies.
In any case, the complication of greatest impact that is usually found in irritable bowel syndrome is the reduced quality of life since the recurrence of symptoms periodically greatly compromises the conduct of a normal and peaceful life.
In this regard, given that only relying on a doctor is the fundamental step for the treatment of this syndrome and for any differential diagnosis, it must be said that the first goal to be achieved remains that of coping with a more healthy, focused on a correct diet and on suitable lifestyle habits including for example the abstention from smoking, the reduction of sources of stress perhaps also addressing an adequate increase in physical activity.
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