Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), also known as spastic colon, recurring symptoms of constipation , diarrhea , and abdominal cramping that appear without a clear cause The diarrhea associated with IBS is not true diarrhea in that there is no increase in stool volume. Patients sometimes pass mucus with the stools and have a sensation of incomplete evacuation of the bowels following defecation. Recurring IBS has been associated with stress, although abdominal distress is a common reaction to anxiety in many people who do not suffer from IBS. Physicians diagnose IBS only after conducting a series of tests that rule out other gastrointestinal disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal parasites, and polyps. These tests include a barium enema, stool parasite culture, and sigmoidoscopy, examination of the lower intestines with a hollow, tubelike instrument passed through the anus. There is no cure for IBS and treatment focuses on alleviating symptoms. High fiber diets or antispa