IBS Complications

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• QHow are irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and mental health related?

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  A HealthyWomen answered

  Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms cause more than just physical distress. IBS may make you feel stressed, depressed, anxious and frustrated, at least in part because symptoms may be embarrassing and not easy to talk about.
  
  A common source of anxiety relates to the need to be near a toilet when the feeling of urgency develops. Some people with moderate to severe symptoms (including unpredictable pain, urgency and perhaps even bowel incontinence) find that IBS can affect many aspects of their lives. It may impact the ability to work, attend social events and travel and affect relationships with friends, family and sexual partners.
  
  The colon is partly controlled by the nervous system. IBS often causes stress and stress often triggers more symptoms. This is an example of what researchers call the "mind-gut" connection. When areas of the brain that are influenced by stress are overwhelmed, the gastrointestinal tract is affected, causing pain and other symptoms. Then increased pain can cause further anxiety.
  
  If you have IBS, your doctor may recommend a psychological evaluation and possible treatment, especially if you have severe symptoms that affect your quality of life. Questionnaires that detect anxiety, depression or other psychological conditions may be used to supplement your healthcare provider's evaluation of your symptoms. Psychological treatment, in addition to medical treatment, can break the vicious IBS symptom cycle.
  
  This content originally appeared on HealthyWomen.org.

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• QDoes irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) cause permanent damage?

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  A HealthyWomen answered

  Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is indeed irritable, often causing a great deal of discomfort and distress. But the good news is that the syndrome does not cause permanent harm to the intestines, doesn't lead to intestinal bleeding and doesn't cause cancer or inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis). Moreover, if you have IBS, you may not have symptoms all the time. Some people can go for weeks or months without any symptoms. Others may experience them daily. IBS is often chronic. However, when followed for several years, about a third of people no longer have IBS.
  
  This content originally appeared on HealthyWomen.org.
• QHow does irritable bowel syndrome lead to stomach cramping and diarrhea?

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  A The Mount Sinai Health System answered

  The Rome III criteria define Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) as “recurrent abdominal pain/discomfort occurring for at least 3 days per month in previous 3 months (onset of symptom should be 6 months prior to diagnosis)  and the pain is often associated with 2 or more of following symptoms:

  1. Improvement (not relieved) with defecation
  2. Onset associated with change in frequency of stool
  3. Onset associated with change in form/appearance of stool”

  Four subtypes of IBS have been described including a diarrhea subtype (IBS-D) when loose or watery stools are reported for ≥25% of the bowel movements or hard or lumpy stools occur <25%.

  The mechanisms of diarrhea and abdominal pain may include:

  • abnormal intestinal motility
  • increased visceral sensitivity (or hypersensitivity/hyperalgesia)
  • increased perception (hypervigilance - the symptoms are amplified)
  • symptoms may be preceded by an acute infectious diarrhea event (post-infectious)
  • change in the bacterial flora or an increased number of bacteria in the small intestine (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)
  • immune modulation
  • intolerance to certain foods (which has led to the use of FODMAPS diet or lactose or gluten elimination diets)

  Patients have correlated increased symptoms (abdominal discomfort and /or diarrhea) when they are stressed.

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• QIs irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) life threatening?

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  A Dr. William T. Dierenfeldt, MD , Gastroenterology, answered

  Even though IBS is a nuisance, and can interfere with your daily activities, it is not life threatening.

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• QHow does irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affect the body?

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  A Reston Hospital Center answered

  Although your irritable bowel syndrome symptoms may be extremely uncomfortable, the disorder itself has little impact on your body. It does not lead to inflammation, and it does not damage your intestines. However, if you avoid certain foods because of your irritable bowel syndrome, you may not get enough of the nutrients you need, and your body may become malnourished.

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• QHow does irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affect other illnesses?

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  A Reston Hospital Center answered

  If you have hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome can make them worse. Irritable bowel syndrome can cause diarrhea and constipation. Both diarrhea and constipation can increase the pressure in the veins of your rectum and anus, which can aggravate your hemorrhoids.

• QWhat are the complications of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

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  A Reston Hospital Center answered

  Although irritable bowel syndrome is usually not serious, occasionally some complications may arise. If your irritable bowel syndrome is causing you to avoid the foods that trigger your flare-ups, you may be not be getting enough of the key nutrients you need. This can cause malnourishment. In addition, if you have hemorrhoids, the diarrhea and constipation that often accompany irritable bowel syndrome can make them worse.

• QDoes irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have an effect on my bladder?

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  A Dr. William B. Salt, MD , Gastroenterology, answered

  The bladder symptoms that are most commonly associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are increased frequency in passing urine, urgency to urinate and sometimes urinary incontinence. This in turn can result in mistaken diagnosis of recurrent cystitis (bladder infection) with repeated antibiotic treatment. Furthermore, a urologist may diagnose interstitial cystitis, or irritable bladder syndrome.

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• QWhat kind of pain is associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

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  A Dr. William B. Salt, MD , Gastroenterology, answered

  Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, which are related to the colon, include abdominal pain or discomfort associated with disturbance of bowel function -- diarrhea, constipation or alternation between diarrhea and constipation.
  
  If you have experienced abdominal discomfort or pain for at least 12 weeks (not necessarily consecutive weeks) in the last year, and if your discomfort or pain is accompanied by two or more of the following features, then you may have IBS:
  

  • Your pain or discomfort is relieved after you have a bowel movement
  • When your pain starts, you have a change in your usual number of bowel movements (either more or fewer)
  • When your pain or discomfort starts, you have either softer or harder stools than usual

  Other symptoms of IBS may include:
  

  • Abnormal bowel frequency (more than three per day or less than three per week)
  • Abnormal stool form (lumpy/hard or loose/watery stool)
  • Abnormal stool passage, such as straining, urgency or the feeling that you have not completely emptied your rectum after a bowel movement
  • Passage of mucus in or on the stool
  • Abdominal bloating, distention or swelling
• QWhat is enhanced visceral nociception in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

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  A Dr. William B. Salt, MD , Gastroenterology, answered

  Research has conclusively shown that patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have enhanced sensation and perception of what is happening in their digestive tract. They can feel things in their throat, chest, abdomen and rectum that other people cannot feel. What they feel can be uncomfortable and even painful. Doctors call this enhanced visceral nociception. Another way of looking at this is that the internal pain threshold for patients with IBS and other functional gastrointestinal disorders is reduced. Even the sensation of normal peristaltic activity, movement and distention of the gut by food and gas may be experienced as uncomfortable.