The Symptoms of IBS:

What is it?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a mix of abdominal symptoms for which there is no obvious cause. It is estimated that as many as one in five people suffer from IBS at some time in their lives, and it is the most common reason for consulting a gastroenterologist. Although unpleasant, IBS is not a life-threatening condition and doesn't result in cancer or serious intestinal disease.

What are the signs and symptoms?
The four most common symptoms of IBS are constipation, abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhoea. Other symptoms of IBS can include, excessive flatulence, gurgling noises from the stomach, rectal pain, headaches, and backache.

Because IBS can mimic many other intestinal disorders, you should consult your doctor if you have:

• difficulty swallowing when food gets stuck
• indigestion-type pain that wakes you up at night
• unexplained weight loss
• bleeding from the back passage
• chronic, painless diarrhoea

IBS symptoms can ‘wax and wane' and you could have long periods with no symptoms.

Benenden Healthcare is a mutual Healthcare Society for employees of the public sector which strives to inform its members about the symptoms of diseases such as IBS.