{"id":2017,"date":"2018-07-14T06:29:40","date_gmt":"2018-07-14T06:29:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=2017"},"modified":"2021-03-18T16:31:59","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T16:31:59","slug":"10-irritable-bowel-syndrome-symptoms-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/10-irritable-bowel-syndrome-symptoms-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Irritable bowel syndrome is a digestive condition that affects people of all ages and genders, although it is twice as frequent in women and mostly developed at a young age. It has been defined as a chronic condition, so to date there is no identified cure for it. Even more, the exact causes and mechanisms of the syndrome are yet unknown, although there are some hypotheses that link it to neurological, psychological and emotional disorders.<\/p>\n

This syndrome affects the function of the large intestines, although the lining of the bowel itself appears as normal when these patients undergo deeper studies. In most cases, the symptoms can be controlled with a good diet and stress management, and most people with irritable bowel syndrome have only mild or moderate symptoms. Here is a list of 10 irritable bowel syndrome symptoms you need to know, in order to have an idea of whether or not you could have this condition.<\/p>\n

1. Abdominal cramping<\/h3>\n

Irritable bowel syndrome is mostly known for the disturbances it causes in the large intestine and bowel movements. One of the main symptoms of this syndrome is abdominal pain. The exact cause of the pain is yet to be understood, but many doctors think that it is caused by abnormal contractions of the muscles<\/a> that make up the most of the tissue of bowels.<\/p>\n

These muscles contract and relax to make the fecal matter move along the bowel, from one end to the other. These contractions shouldn\u2019t be too strong or too weak, but at a point of equilibrium where they can fulfill their function. When a muscle contracts too strongly, it can produce a reaction of pain, and this is called a cramp. People with irritable bowel syndrome often report feeling cramps in their lower belly, which could be caused by an abnormality in the contraction if intestinal muscles.<\/p>\n

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2. Lower abdominal pain<\/h3>\n

Perhaps one of the most famous and frequent symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome is pain; this pain has a series of particular characteristics that help set it apart from other painful manifestations of conditions or even normal pain such as menstrual cramping. For example, abdominal pain caused by an irritable bowel syndrome is often relieve right after bowel movements. This suggests that there is a strong correlation between the cause of the pain and the function and content of the large intestines.<\/p>\n

Also, other symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can cause pain in an indirect way. For example, symptoms described below such as bloating and excessive gas, tend to distend the bowels, and this excessive stretching of the tissue<\/a> of the larger intestine causes pain. There might be other mechanisms involved in the sensation of aching that typically accompanies irritable bowel syndrome, but this is how far our current understanding goes.<\/p>\n

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3. Bloating<\/h3>\n

There is a relatively stable amount of content that the larger intestine can hold without experiencing any functional problems. As any confined space, it does have a volume of available room, and as muscular tissue, it can stretch to a certain degree. Whenever the content of the large intestine surpasses the ideal volume, the tissue will resent and send distress signals to our nervous system, which it will interpret as pain.<\/p>\n

Also, we will feel and even be able to see a change in volume of our lower belly and experiment the discomfort of excessive content. Inflammation of the tissue can also lead to a temporary enlargement of the bowel tissue. All these phenomena can cause bloating, which is another of the most common symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Bloating<\/a> can happen as a singled-out symptom, but it is often accompanied by pain and digestive problems such as flatulencies and diarrhea.<\/p>\n

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4. Abundant flatulencies<\/h3>\n

Flatulencies are normal in a health individual, because the chemical and biological processes to which our food is subjected to during its digestion do emit as a side product certain forms of gas. The bacteria that live inside our bowels help us digest the food by eating and breaking down some of the most difficult molecules to process and help us absorb them and generate waste that is later eliminated with the rest of the feces during bowel movements. Some of these subproducts are gaseous; namely, hydrogen<\/a> and methane.<\/p>\n

When the intestinal flora and the bowel movements are unaffected, the volume of flatulencies will remain normal as well. However, an affectation of the bowel movements could increase the volume of flatulencies produced. In the case of irritable bowel syndrome, the movement of the content of the large intestine is affected because of the way our intestinal muscles work.<\/p>\n

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5. Weight loss<\/h3>\n

Both our large and small intestines absorb nutrients and useful substances from the food that we eat. The small intestines mostly absorb chemicals such as vitamins, minerals, proteins<\/a>, fat and oligoelements. The large intestine\u2019s primal function is to absorb the water from the aliment, in order to help hydrate our system. If our intestines are not working well, they won\u2019t be able to properly absorb the nutrients from our food, and we could have nutritional deficiencies even if our food intake is correct and sufficient.<\/p>\n

Some symptoms like diarrhea also prevent our intestines from absorbing all the nutrients that we need, because our bowel content leaves our system before it can be properly processed. For this reason, irritable bowel syndrome might lead to nutritional problems, as well as weight loss. If we cannot absorb the caloric molecules from our food, then our body will have to use up our reserves, thus making us lose weight.<\/p>\n

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\"\"6. Mucus in the stool<\/h3>\n

Irritable bowel syndrome tends to change the content and the texture of our stool. This is due to the way the syndrome affects the function of your large intestines. By observing any change in your stools, you can realize that something inside of you might not be working the way it should. Some people with irritable bowel syndrome report seeing a white mucus on their stool after bowel movements.<\/p>\n

The mucus<\/a> doesn\u2019t appear all the time, but instead is more of an occasional phenomenon. Even if the exact cause of the production of mucus is yet to be understood, some scientists link it to the irritation or inflammation of the inner lining of the bowel. Doctors agree that it its not a major sign for concern. Mucus in the stool has also been associated with other affections of the large intestine such as celiac disease, lactose intolerance and Crohn\u2019s disease among others.<\/p>\n

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\"\"7. Constipation<\/h3>\n

When we perform our bowel movements, our stool can have a variety of textures and levels of solidity. Just as everything with our body, there is an ideal range where these factors should be, and stool too dry or too fluid are signs that there is some sort of disturbance in the system. Irritable bowel syndrome alters the rhythm and intensity of the intestinal muscle contractions, which in turn affects how much time our intestinal content stays within our bowels<\/a> before it is excreted.<\/p>\n

As you now know, the main task of the large intestine is to absorb the water from the fecal matter before letting it out of the body. The longer the fecal matter remains inside the bowels, the more water will be absorbed by the intestinal lining, and as a result, the harder and dryer it will be, and the most difficult it could be to defecate.<\/p>\n

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8. Diarrhea<\/h3>\n

Inversely, when the content of our intestines stays for a period of time that is too short before it is pushed out, there isn\u2019t enough time for the large intestine to absorb the water that is present in the fecal matter. As a result, the stool is very soft, and in extreme cases, it has a liquid and viscose consistency and a characteristic bitter odor, and this is what we call diarrhea<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In some cases, diarrhea is intentionally caused by bowel movements to quickly get rid of content that is potentially harmful for the system. For example, in the case of intoxication or food poisoning, taking the content of the digestive system out as quickly as possible helps prevent the absorption of harmful germs or chemicals into our bloodstream. In the case of irritable bowel syndrome, alterations in the bowel movement caused by an abnormal intensity in the intestinal muscular contractions can cause diarrhea.<\/p>\n

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\"\"9. Rectal bleeding<\/h3>\n

Most people with irritable bowel syndrome don\u2019t have symptoms that are potentially dangerous for their health. The most common symptoms are uncomfortable and quite inconvenient, such as abdominal pain and diarrhea, but they will very rarely be severe enough to become a serious threat to the state of health of the patient.<\/p>\n

However, in some cases that are more extreme, there could be other symptoms that are taken as a sign of concern, and if you have these, we recommend that you go see a doctor and let them know, so the health professional decides if more tests are needed and, perhaps, a more intense medical attention. Rectal bleeding is one of these symptoms. A small number of people with irritable bowel syndrome report to see stains of blood<\/a> on their stools. This is a sign of breakage in the inner lining of the intestines and requires medical attention.<\/p>\n

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10. Anemia<\/h3>\n

One of the possible consequences of rectal bleeding is anemia, which is defined as an insufficient quantity of red cells in the bloodstream. Red cells are fundamental for our health because they carry the oxygen that all living cells need to function. Without enough red cells, the cellular respiration, which is the process that allows cells to extract energy from the nutrients, cannot take place. Rectal bleeding, as the internal hemorrhage that it is, can affect the total number of red cells that we have in our system.<\/p>\n

Also, there is another cause of anemia<\/a> that is associated with irritable bowel syndrome, and that is iron deficiency anemia. Iron is a mineral that is indispensable for the production of hemoglobin, the protein that makes up most of the red cell\u2019s body. Irritable bowel syndrome decreases the capability of your intestines to absorb iron and other minerals, so you could have anemia.<\/p>\n

\"\"11. Headache<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s a common occurrence for IBS patients to report symptoms unrelated to digestive issues as well. The medical community recognizes a connection between the development of migraines and IBS. Studies show that up to 53-percent of people who are living with IBS, report symptoms of frequent headaches and migraines, \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

it\u2019s common for IBS patients to report symptoms unrelated to digestion. She says there is an established connection between IBS and migraines in the medical community. Further research suggests that those people with IBS experience headaches<\/a> after eating foods containing gluten, with over 80-percent of individuals noticing an increase in symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some studies also show links between headaches occurring during the attacks, with more than 60-percent of affected individuals reporting symptoms of a tension headache or migraine. Medical professionals believe that stress is also a contributing factor that increases the prevalence of migraines in people who are suffering from IBS, and it may have something to do with a deficiency in the production of the neurotransmitter, serotonin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"12. Frequent Urination<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Medical professionals are still at a loss to explain the overlapping symptoms of bowel and bladder problems. However, research suggests that up to 50-percent of patients with IBS also experience urinary issues, such as incomplete emptying of the bladder<\/a>, an overactive bladder, and an increase in getting up to urinate during the night.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some research suggests that the increase in urinary frequency attributed to IBS patients may have something to do with the inflamed bowels pressing down on the bladder, causing the urge to urinate frequently.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some IBS patients report that they also experience a feeling of not emptying their bowels, resulting in rectal incontinence, where the rectal sphincter leaks. Both urinary and fecal incontinence are incredibly difficult conditions to deal with and may occur in affected individuals withdrawing from social interactions because they are unable to suppress their need to go to the toilet often, and the incontinence that results.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"13. Fatigue<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

People suffering from IBS may notice that they experience feelings of fatigue<\/a> when their symptoms start to occur. The inflammation in the bowel that occurs due to swelling in the intestinal wall increases sensations of lethargy and fatigue, due to the reduction in glutamic acid produced by the gut. <\/span><\/p>\n

Typical food products responsible for flares in IBS symptoms include artificial sweeteners, dairy, alcohol, fatty foods, beans, caffeine, and cruciferous vegetables \u2013 like kale and cabbage. Lower levels of glutamic acid equate to lower levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid, also referred to as GABA.<\/span><\/p>\n

GABA has a calming effect on the brain, and it\u2019s one of the chemicals released in the moments before sleep to assist the body in drifting off. When the body has lower levels of GABA, it results in restlessness before sleep, with the affected individual tossing and turning for hours. As a result, they may feel tired and fatigued the following day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"14. Anxiety and Depression<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

People who are suffering from IBS may also notice that they have feelings of anxiety and depression. Patients may even see an increase in the intensity of these symptoms during an IBS attack as well. According to data from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, (ADAA,) the nervous system controls the colon and responds to stress stimulus. <\/span><\/p>\n

More than 70-percent of people with IBS<\/a> do nothing to manage their symptoms of gastrointestinal distress, leading to a surge in depression and anxiety. Research shows that as many as 90-percent of people affected by IBS have a mental health disorder that includes either anxiety, depression, or both conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

More than 1,6-million Americans suffer from depressi0on, and up to 40-million Americans suffer from an anxiety disorder. If you have IBS and notice that you\u2019re dealing with depression, seek medical treatment from your doctor to regain control of your mental health. Your doctor may prescribe antidepressants and benzodiazepines to control your anxiety and depression.<\/span><\/p>\n

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