IBS has several symptoms not everyone has all of them. Some with IBS have a predominant symptom, such as diarrhea, constipation, and pain for 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating.
IBS Symptoms
The IBS symptoms most people experience are:
- Abdominal cramps: are pain, achy, spasm, colicky or discomfort occur in the lower abdomen, sometimes relieved by a bowel movement or passing gas. Stop passing gas in public place may only add to the pain.
- Increased abdominal contraction after eating. “I feel the urge to defecate, whenever I finish eating food or getting to go out.” This is common among people with IBS.
- Bloating: or distention of abdomen is experiencing by almost 92% of IBS patients and regularly they need to let their belts out to accommodate bloat. Bloating comes and goes so fast at any time, so do not wear anything tight around the waist. People with IBS noted that in the mornings, they are generally good but their abdomens will gradually distend or bloat throughout the day. By the evening, the bloating can become so bad to bear tight clothes.
- Diarrhea: is the most distressing symptom of IBS. Especially, when running to bathroom at work or in public places. The anxiety and worry about finding a bathroom and reach in time flare-up the symptoms.
- Constipation: is mostly chronic manifest as strain, pain and feeling incomplete evacuation. The stool is often hard and lumpy. IBS patient probably spend much time contemplating about relief it will bring. A bowel movement relieve the pain and cramping of gas buildup.
- Erratic bowel movement: that is alternating constipation and diarrhea. You end up with another misery due to times of running to bathroom are replaced by failed bowel movement.
In a survey of about 9,000 people, 25.4% predominantly suffered by diarrhea, 24.1% predominantly suffered by constipation, and 46.7% had alternating symptoms.
The IBS stool passes in very brief squirts, whereas the infectious or inflammatory bowel movement passes with a gush lasting several seconds.
Other common IBS symptoms
Aside from the primary symptoms of IBS, some people also experience the following:
- Excessive gas: produces burping or passing gas is embracing, specifically when you are in public. Mostly gas is odorless, if it contains oxygen, nitrogen, or hydrogen. Sometimes flatulence contains sulfur gas with noxious odor.
- Gurgling sound in the guts heard across the room. It may be due to too much of gas movement and hyperactive intestine.
- Nausea: develops when stomach and intestine bloated and can force you want to gag. Constipation releases toxins into the bloodstream and make you nauseas and sick. Additionally, toxic byproducts from infectious microorganisms are absorbed through the intestine lining makes your feel sick.
- Incomplete evacuation: means after bowel movement, there is a sensation of more stool to pass. It is a strange feeling, which makes you distress.
- Mucus in the stool: are due to irritated intestinal lining caused by cramp, gas, and bloat. Actually, mucus coating the intestine to protect it from irritation.
- Incontinence or urgent urge to toilet after waking or eating: are due to intestinal overdrive when chewing & swallowing and opening eye may jump-start metabolism that trigger urge. Standing up from bed or chair make it worst due to gravities influence on intestinal content.
Other symptoms associated with IBS are headache, frequent urination, fatigue, tiredness, shortness of breath, disturbed sleep, appetite loss, indigestion, dizziness, painful muscles & joints, depression, anxiety, stress, and left-side abdominal pain during sex in women.
IBS symptoms that impinge life
The daily IBS symptoms that negatively affects your life are:
- Wake you up in the morning with urgent urge to visit toilet.
- Painful gas and bloating immediately after first bite of breakfast.
- Constipation, incredible discomfort, feel the bowel about to move, and nothing seems to alleviate discomfort.
Symptoms not associated with IBS
There are many other intestinal disorders possessing symptoms same as IBS.
Thus, it is important to identify symptoms not associated with IBS, but with other intestinal disorders needs immediate proper treatment.
- Difficulty swallowing
- Indigestion pain wakes up in the night
- Abdominal bloating does not subsidies overnight
- Significant weight loss without reasons.
- Rectal bleeding
- Chronic painless diarrhea
- Black colored stool
If you are experiencing one or many of these symptoms, you should consult your doctor for immediate detailed diagnosis.