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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a collection of symptoms affecting your gastrointestinal tract but without causing damage to your intestines or increasing your risk of colon cancer.
Most people with IBS have only mild or moderate symptoms, many of which may be controlled through lifestyle modifications.
Even so, there are treatments for severe symptoms of IBS. At The Well for Health in Mooresville, North Carolina, we turn to functional medicine to help ease the effects of chronic conditions like IBS.
This month, we take a deeper look at IBS, its signs, and when it’s time to visit us for help with your condition.
There’s no single set of symptoms that pinpoints IBS. Perhaps the long-term, ongoing recurrence is the most common experience among patients.
If you have IBS, you’re most likely to see these three signs:
As well as these, you may also experience increased gas, the presence of mucus in the stool, or a feeling that your bowel movement is incomplete. The type of IBS you have may present in symptoms:
The differences in IBS types often make a difference when choosing effective treatments.
IBS symptoms can occur frequently or occasionally. You don’t always experience symptoms, and you could go for long periods between episodes.
As many as 15 out of 100 adults in the United States may have IBS. But only about half seek treatment, and it’s the most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal condition in the country.
If your symptoms are minor or occasional, causing little impact on your daily life, you may not need treatment. It’s still a good idea to discuss these with your primary care provider to ensure that the problem is IBS and not another condition with similar symptoms, like Crohn's disease, celiac disease, or colorectal cancer, among others.
IBS symptoms become urgent if they’re accompanied by symptoms like:
These additional symptoms may be pointing to a more serious GI problem. Otherwise, seek help when IBS symptoms get worse, more frequent, or begin to interfere with everyday life.
Contact us at The Well for Health for a functional health approach to treating IBS. We look at the root causes behind your condition, working to restore your gut health and return your system to more normal performance.
Call 704-459-5296 to book an appointment or click the link on this page to request a consultation. We’re here to help, so get in touch today. We serve patients in Mooresville, Cornelius, Huntersville, and the greater Charlotte, North Carolina, area.
