Bloating can be a symptom of a disease that is difficult to diagnose. It’s not just a nasty ailment

Some diseases are very easy to recognize due to their characteristic symptoms. However, there are also situations when making the correct diagnosis is a great challenge for doctors, and the symptoms that the body sends, often mislead medics. The same is true of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition that is still somewhat of a mystery in the medical world.

Bloating can be a symptom of irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic and recurrent disease of the small and large intestines – this means that symptoms can appear and then subside at different intervals. Its main symptoms are abdominal pain and a change in the rhythm of bowel movements, but the signal that should arouse our vigilance is also recurrent flatulence. This disease affects approximately 11 percent of the world’s population, and women are twice as likely to suffer from it (usually over 50).
One of the symptoms that indicates this disease is also the feeling of filling the digestive tract with intestinal gases. Researchers have shown that the vast majority of people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome experience this ailment – the problem of bloating can affect up to 96 percent of patients.

What are the other symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome?

The characteristic symptom of irritable bowel syndrome is abdominal pain, which can appear anywhere, but most often it occurs in the lower abdomen on the left side and in the lower abdomen. It can be spasmodic and acute. Another symptom of IBS is frequent bowel movements, which are preceded by quite violent straining, especially after meals.
Other symptoms include:

• diarrhea or constipation

• nausea,

• vomiting,

• heartburn

• admixtures of mucus in the feces,

• frequent urination,

• menstrual disorders.

All these symptoms may also be accompanied by mood disorders, anxiety, depression and general symptoms such as headache, fever, weight loss or fatigue. The symptoms that appear with irritable bowel syndrome are unspecific and may also occur with other diseases.

How is this disease diagnosed?

Irritable bowel syndrome causes unpleasant fears and may make it difficult for the patient to function normally, but it is not a health-threatening disease. Irritable bowel syndrome can be diagnosed, among others, through a detailed medical history regarding the course of the ailments, their nature and level of severity. If your doctor suspects IBS, he or she may order additional tests. The diagnosis of this disease is largely based on the exclusion of other diseases that may cause similar symptoms (such as, for example, food intolerances, inflammatory bowel diseases, cancer, parasitic diseases).

Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome

The specific method of treating irritable bowel syndrome is selected according to the severity of symptoms. If the disease is mild – it is important to change the lifestyle and the right diet for irritable bowel syndrome. Identify and try to eliminate stressful situations that may contribute to the onset of symptoms. The use of medications that will help relieve unpleasant symptoms is also supportive in the treatment. Check out how to reduce the symptoms associated with IBS.
If irritable bowel syndrome significantly hinders normal functioning – psychological and pharmacological treatment is necessary (aimed at reducing the symptoms of fear and anxiety). This is due to the fact that in more than half of people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome there is a relationship between the occurrence of stress and the severity of the symptoms of the disease.