Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common complaints. It is usually so mild that many people live with it without knowing they have it, but in many cases it can cause severe symptoms and intense pain.

IBS has many causes, but most are directly linked to everyday habits, including:

Smoking.
Drinking alcohol.
Emotional states such as anxiety, depression or sadness.
Certain foods, which vary from person to person, such as falafel, hot chilli sauce, raw vegetables like cucumber or radish, pulses like chickpeas, peas, broad beans and lentils, fried food, and coffee.

The main symptom is colicky abdominal pain (pain that comes and goes) and bloating (a lot of wind), which may come with constipation or with diarrhoea alternating with constipation. There are no laboratory tests specific to IBS: it is diagnosed clinically after ruling out diseases with similar symptoms.

Differential diagnosis: the colon has been called "the great mimic". Its pain can imitate renal colic, a stomach or duodenal ulcer, biliary colic, appendicitis, ovarian cyst pain and even a heart attack. Depending on where the pain is, other causes must be ruled out before concluding that it comes from the colon.

There is no definitive cure for IBS. It is a little like an allergy: its severity varies from person to person even among people with similar habits and diets.

Ways to treat IBS and reduce its symptoms include:

Avoiding anxiety, depression and stress as far as possible.
Avoiding alcohol.
Avoiding coffee, which in many cases helps trigger symptoms.
Regular exercise.
Stopping smoking.
Choosing foods carefully and avoiding those that trigger symptoms. A doctor cannot say which foods these are, because they differ from person to person. Raw vegetables may trigger IBS in some people, while others find relief with the very same vegetables, such as rocket and cucumber.
Paying attention to how foods affect you and then consulting a doctor, to understand your condition and how your body copes with different foods.

By Dr Zuhour Mohsen al-Saad