Healthy Living looks at irritable bowel syndrome
Have you ever felt that your bathroom urges are hindering your freedom to move around? If so, listen up because Healthy living this week looks at a condition that may be the culprit behind those uncontrollable and embarrassing urges.
Marleni Cuellar, Reporting
Ever have the feeling that you just have “to go” or maybe you’re plagued by the problem of just not being able “to go.” If that is case, you may be a victim of a very common condition known as IBS: Irritable Bowel Syndrome. As the name ‘syndrome’ suggestions, there is a collection of symptoms associated with IBS including cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea and constipation.
Irvin Gabourel, Gastroenterologist
“We tend to look for three basic symptoms; Dyspepsia, which is a discomfort in the upper abdomen, abdominal pain, very important that we have abdominal pain included in the constellation of symptoms and a change in the bowel movement pattern.”
It may sound simple enough, a case of bad belly or upset stomach. But IBS can often times be misdiagnosed. This is why it is important that the diagnosis is complete.
Irvin Gabourel
“These three major symptoms are confusing at times because they initially go to the general practitioner and he will look at the patient have ih belly hurt then ih have diarrhea then ih have constipation so it s a been confusing. I must make emphasis that IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion, it means that then the doctor will have to make a whole series of exams before, and let’s say you do an endoscopy and its normal and you do a colonoscopy and its normal, an ultra sound and it’s also normal, then you can start telling this patient that you know that I think you’re symptoms are basically related to irritable bowel syndrome.”
According to Dr. Gabourel, in his practice he has seen more females than males present with IBS but this may be attributed to the fact that females tend to seek out medical care more often than males. There are no known physical causes for IBS. It is only known that the bowel doesn’t work or function properly. Stress, major life changes and even certain foods may trigger or worsen some of the symptoms.
Irvin Gabourel
“IBS won’t kill you but you’re quality of life will be so diminished. For example, I’ve had patients who don’t attend a function if they don’t know that a bathroom will be available. Why? because as soon as they hit the seen they have to look for the closest bathroom. So that will make anybody’s like impossible and you won’t want to interact with society. Or imagine having constipation that you’ haven’t been to the bathroom for two weeks that can be a problem too.”
As for treatment, once all other causes have been ruled out and it is confirmed that IBS is the problem then the treatment would be administered according to the main symptoms presented.
Irvin Gabourel
“If the patient is having abdominal pain, once we have ruled out that there is no organic problem, then we can safely give them a pain killer and anti-inflammatory, which is only given for the gut. If you have a pain that has been bothering you and the pain was very low at the beginning phases of it and now the pain is more severe and is constantly there. If you’re losing weight and you don’t have any explanation for it and you’re not on a diet per say and you start having blood in the stool those are the red flags that you must look for. So pain that won’t go away, losing weight without any cause, bleeding in the stool along with some mucus; I think those are some red flags that we must look for in people who have IBS. Those people need to come see the doctor.”
IBS is a long term condition and although treatment is offered for the specific symptoms, maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise can help in managing the condition.
