Common Symptoms and Signs of IBS

People suffering from irritable bowel syndrome generally experience symptoms that cause discomfort. When these issues occur, people often seek the assistance of a doctor. A physician can assess a patient’s condition to make an IBS diagnosis. After diagnosis, the next step involves treatment to relieve distress.
Common Symptoms
A physician will assess a patient’s symptoms to determine whether IBS is possible. Anyone who experiences issues such as bloating, excess gas, and pain in the lower abdomen might be feeling signs of a possible problem. In addition, marked changes in bowel movement patterns and mucus present in stools could also indicate a problem. The doctor will ask questions to learn about the level and timing of symptoms. Generally, someone is more likely to be experiencing irritable bowel syndrome if these issues have been a problem for at least six months. Another common way to assess symptoms is the frequency of abdominal pain. If this type of discomfort occurs at least three days out of each month, lasting for a minimum of three months, a problem could be present. The doctor will ask additional questions about this discomfort to further focus the diagnosis. IBS could be the cause of the distress if having a bowel movement relieves the pain or if the discomfort is connected to a change in bowel movement frequency. Discomfort linked with a change in consistency or appearance of stools is another potential factor.