What we call

Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the large intestine. It usually occurs with abdominal pain or changes in bowel habits or with constipation and diarrhea.

It occurs quite frequently and it is estimated that 25-30% of people presenting to hospital outpatient clinics have spastic colitis. The cost of the clinical-laboratory tests needed to exclude a serious disease other than this syndrom,  reveals the magnitude of this health problem and hence the difficulty in diagnosing it.

Women and irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is more common in women, at a rate of 2:1 compared to men, aged 20-50 years and usually in people of high educational and social status, as a chronic condition with periods of flare-ups and relapses.

What factors cause Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

First of all, it must be stressed again that Irritable Bowel Syndrome is nothing but a disorder of the large intestine, since under normal conditions the large intestine has a very complex motility.

The factors that seem to be implicated in this disorder are mainly of a psychological nature and are most often associated with unpleasant personal events, situations that create stress and increase anxiety or create depression or reduce self-esteem. Thus, the bowel displays an abnormal sensitivity, expressed either by an increase in movement, spasms of the bowel and abdominal pain. Or by a decrease in mobility, distension of the bowel, flatulence and pain, especially after meals during the passage of food.