What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
IBS is a condition that is relatively easy for medical professionals in France to diagnose, but its management is often very limited, or sometimes clumsy. In essence, it still seems poorly understood.
And for good reason: its progression is often slow, or even stagnant, but above all its causes can be multiple, strongly linked to environment and habits, which makes it complicated to study.
Do you suffer from recurrent abdominal pain?
Are you used to stress, anxiety, or depression?
Is your bowel transit very regularly abnormal?
Have you ruled out the presence of another digestive disease through appropriate medical tests?
If you answered yes to all these questions, you are very likely suffering from IBS — Irritable Bowel Syndrome — also known as functional bowel disorder or irritable colon. (1)
According to APSSII.org — the French association supporting and defending the rights of people suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome — this condition may affect between 5% and 10% of the French population, meaning more than 3 million people.
Despite the persistence of symptoms and their negative impact on quality of life, this condition is often benign: it is not life-threatening. Although it is a chronic and unpleasant disorder, many people live with it for several decades without “complications.” There is good news, however: statistically, up to 50% of patients show improvement after two years. (2)
IBS is characterized by recurring abdominal pain — sometimes accompanied by uncontrollable abdominal spasms — as well as disturbed bowel transit. It can manifest differently from one person to another.
Three main subtypes are used to categorize it:
- IBS-C: slowed bowel transit, constipation-predominant
- IBS-D: accelerated bowel transit, diarrhea-predominant
- IBS-M, or mixed IBS: both of the previous patterns occurring intermittently
Typically, all these symptoms vary in intensity and over time. It should be noted that progression from IBS-C to IBS-D, or vice versa, is rare. However, the appearance of IBS-M after developing IBS-C or IBS-D is not uncommon. (3)
IBS should not be confused with another condition. This is why I provide a list of relevant medical tests on this page, so you can open a dialogue with your doctor and help refine and confirm the diagnosis.
Sources
- Irritable bowel syndrome: definition, diagnosis and epidemiology
- Predictive factors of IBS improvement: 1-year prospective evaluation in 400 patients
- Clinical Patterns Over Time in IBS