What are the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

Introduction

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain and altered bowel habits. Despite its prevalence, the exact pathophysiology of IBS remains unclear, involving a complex interplay of genetic, immune, environmental, and psychological factors.

Key Insights

Abdominal Pain and Discomfort:
- IBS is primarily characterized by recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort, often associated with bowel dysfunction .
Altered Bowel Habits:
- Patients with IBS experience changes in bowel habits, including constipation, diarrhea, or a mix of both. These changes can include abnormal stool frequency, excessive straining, urgency, and a feeling of incomplete evacuation .
Bloating and Distention:
- Abdominal bloating and distention are common symptoms, often resulting from gas trapping and bowel distension .
Psychosocial Factors:
- Psychosocial factors, such as stress and emotional distress, play a significant role in modulating IBS symptoms and their severity .
Visceral Hypersensitivity:
- Increased sensitivity to pain and discomfort in the gut, known as visceral hypersensitivity, is a hallmark of IBS. This may be linked to altered processing of pain signals in the brain .
Post-Infectious IBS:
- A subset of IBS patients develop symptoms following an acute gastrointestinal infection, which may lead to persistent low-grade inflammation and altered gut microbiota .
Gut-Brain Axis:
- The bidirectional communication between the gut and the central nervous system, known as the gut-brain axis, is crucial in the pathophysiology of IBS. This interaction can influence both gastrointestinal and psychological symptoms .

Conclusion

IBS is characterized by a combination of chronic abdominal pain, altered bowel habits, and bloating. Psychosocial factors and visceral hypersensitivity significantly influence symptom severity. Additionally, post-infectious IBS and the gut-brain axis play crucial roles in the disorder's pathophysiology. Understanding these multifaceted symptoms and mechanisms is essential for effective diagnosis and management of IBS.

What are the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

AGA technical review on irritable bowel syndrome.

IBS is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal pain and disturbed defecation, and its psychosocial factors play a significant role in modulating the illness experience and clinical outcome.

New pathophysiological mechanisms in irritable bowel syndrome

New pathophysiological mechanisms in irritable bowel syndrome include reduced gas expulsion, altered brain activity, gastrointestinal infections, and gut microflora changes.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

IBS is a common gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, and stool irregularity, with a prevalence of 10%20% and is more prevalent in women than men.

Pathogenic factors involved in the development of irritable bowel syndrome: focus on a microbial role.

IBS may be linked to abnormal intestinal microbiota composition and instability, offering potential for therapeutic interventions through selective antibiotic or probiotic administration.

The role of inflammation in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Inflammation may play a pathogenic role in irritable bowel syndrome, with increased mast cell density and activity in the gut potentially contributing to symptoms.

Irritable bowel syndrome: a disease still searching for pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy.

IBS's pathophysiology remains unclear, but genetic, immune, environmental, inflammatory, neurological, and psychological factors play a role, and diagnosis and treatment strategies depend on symptoms and comorbidities.

Do interactions between stress and immune responses lead to symptom exacerbations in irritable bowel syndrome?

Interactions between stress and immune responses may contribute to symptom exacerbations in irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome: emerging paradigm in pathophysiology.

IBS symptoms involve multiple factors, requiring a holistic approach to effective treatment and understanding underlying mechanisms.

Diarrhea Predominant-Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS-D): Effects of Different Nutritional Patterns on Intestinal Dysbiosis and Symptoms

Different nutritional approaches, such as low-FODMAP diets, may influence intestinal microbiota composition and symptoms in IBS-D patients, highlighting the need for a tailored approach to manage this functional disorder.

The epidemiology of irritable bowel syndrome

IBS affects around 11% of the global population, with a female predominance, and is not associated with increased mortality risk or socioeconomic status.

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