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Irritable bowel syndrome is a long term disorder of the intestines that causes stomach pain, bloating and/or cramping that can be severe. IBS can also cause either diarrhea or constipation. The severity of the symptoms can very from day to day but your IBS does not get worse and there are ways to help reduce your symptoms.

While IBS is quite common and most people that experience mild symptoms of IBS that they never seek treatment, others can be very troublesome. The main symptoms can include: stomach pain with constipation or diarrhea, stomach bloating, mucus substance in stools, or sometimes the feeling that you have not completely emptied your bowels. Some people at times go back and forth between constipation and diarrhea.

Although health experts aren't exactly sure what causes IBS, they do believe that miscommunication between the brain and the digestive tract causes the symptoms of IBS. They also know that women are twice as likely to suffer from IBS then men. The combination of stress, hormones and immune system appear to interfere with messages between the brain and the bowel which causes abnormal muscle contractions therefore causing the onset of IBS symptoms.

IBS can be diagnosed usually by going over your symptoms with your physician and having a physical. Sometimes, other tests will be required, such as stool samples, just to rule out possible other problems.

IBS is a long term condition and treatment usually includes managing your symptoms. They best way to manage your symptoms is to make changes in your diet by avoiding the foods that you know can trigger your symptoms and cause you pain. Also increase your activity by making sure to exercise more frequently. Low impact exercises such as Pilates or low impact aerobics. Try to manage stress. There are also medications that your doctor could prescribe to help with the symptoms if you need a little extra help.

Some medication therapies that can be used to treat IBS may include:

Anti-anxiety agents These may be used as a short-term aid to help relieve IBS symptoms. Some examples may include: Alprazolam (Xanax), Clonazepam (Klonopin), Diazepam (Valium), Lorazepam (Ativan), Buspirone hydrochloride (BuSpar) is not a benzodiazepine but is sometimes used to treat anxiety and IBS.

Anti-depressants They can be used in small doses to help relieve intestinal spasms, pain and bloating. These are some examples, but your doctor may prescribe one that is not listed here: Amitriptyline hydrochloride, Bupropion hydrochloride

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