by Angela La Fon

Created on: May 09, 2011   Last Updated: May 10, 2011

Anyone can experience stomach pain or discomfort, bloating, diarhea or constipation from time to time but according to WebMD, more than 25 million people suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, (IBS) a “real and treatable medical condition.”

IBS has many gastronomical symptoms but there are other non-gastronomical symptoms such as heart palpitations that can also be associated with IBS. 

How is IBS diagnosed?

There is no definitive test to diagnose IBS.  Doctors use a criteria called Rome III to help determine if you have IBS.  According to WEbMD, patients meet the Rome III criteria for IBS symptoms if:

-symptoms began at least 6 months ago

-you’ve experienced abdominal pain or discomfort at least days each month in the last 3 months

-at least two of the following three statements are true

1. The pain is relieved by having a bowel movement.

2. The pain is linked to a change in how often you have a bowel movement.

3. The pain is linked to a change in the appearance or consistency of your stool.

The Symptoms of IBS:

IBS can marked by several gastronomic issues including stomach discomfort, bloating, intestinal gas, mucus in stool, diarrhea or constipation but there also non-gastronomic symptoms that are sometimes also associated with IBS according to WebMd that can include:

* Anxiety or depression
* Fatigue
* Headache
* Unpleasant taste in the mouth
* Backache
* Sexual problems, such as pain during sex or reduced sexual desire
* Heart palpitations (feeling like the heart skips a beat or is fluttering)
* Urinary symptoms (frequent or urgent need to urinate, trouble starting the urine stream, trouble emptying the bladder)

More on Heart Palpitations and Fast Heartbeat: IBS, Heart Disease or Other?

Heart palpitations are one form of a heart arythmia or irregular heartbeat that according to WebMD may be described as “a feeling of skipped heart beats, fluttering or "flip-flops," or feeling that your heart is "running away.”

While heart palpitations may be experienced by people who also suffer from IBS symptoms, a fast heartbeat or heart palpitations can also be a sign of other serious problems like coronary artery disease and therefore you should consult a doctor.  According to WebMD, irreglar heartbeat may also be a sign of an electrolyte imbalance in your blood such as sodium or potassium.  Either way, you should talk to your doctor about any heart palpitations and not write off a fast heartbeat as simply a symptom of IBS.

More resources:

You can take the Could You have IBS quiz here at WebMD.com.

You can learn more about IBS from the MayoClinic.com.

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