Irritable bowel syndrome is a severely painful disorder that often causes:
- abdominal pain,
- bloating.
- gas,
- diarrhea,
- constipation.
However, since irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic condition, it will not subside on its own and will need to be treated. You can treat irritable bowel syndrome on your own by making a few changes in your diet, eating healthy, and reducing stress.
Here we will discuss the causes of irritable bowel syndrome and its symptoms. We will also discuss severe signs indicating you need to visit your doctor immediately.
There are multiple signs of irritable bowel syndrome; however, the most common are abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation. As we discussed earlier, irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic disease; hence if any of these symptoms are acute, you may not be suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. However, you should visit a doctor immediately if the symptoms are persistent.
Another symptom of irritable bowel syndrome is a change in the appearance of bowel movements and how often you have a bowel movement. While it is an uncommon symptom, irritable bowel syndrome may also cause mucus to appear in your stool.
There are certain signs that indicate that you need to visit your doctor as soon as possible; you may find it difficult to swallow, you may begin to vomit repeatedly, or you may lose a lot of weight suddenly. If so, visit your doctor immediately.
Now, let us discuss the different causes of irritable bowel syndrome:
- When something goes wrong within your digestive system, your abdomen begins to stretch from the gas and the stool. As a result, a disruption occurs between the brain and the stomach, where the abdomen cannot relay information to the brain. Hence, you begin to suffer from diarrhea and constipation.
- Irritable bowel syndrome can also be caused due to bacterial overgrowth. Irritable bowel syndrome may occur if bacteria or virus enters your body and reaches the intestines.
- There are layers of muscles upon the walls of your intestines. As food begins to move through the intestines, these muscles contract. These contractions are an essential part of the digestive tract. If the contractions are too strong or occur rapidly, they may cause gas and bloating to occur. Similarly, if the contractions are too slow or weak, the food may not be able to travel through the intestines as it should. As a result, you may begin to suffer from hard and extremely dry stools.
- A large amount of bacteria and fungi resides within your intestines. If a change begins to occur within these bacteria and fungi, it could lead to irritable bowel syndrome.
If you are suffering from irritable bowel syndrome or are experiencing any symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome, you do not need to worry. With regular medication and some treatment, irritable bowel syndrome can be cured, and Gastroenterology Diagnostic Center is here to assist you. If you want to schedule a consultation with our team of gastroenterologists, you can call us at 281-357-1977.