Do you suffer from abdominal pain, bloating, farting, and irregular bowel movements despite eating a healthy, light diet? You may have irritable bowel syndrome. This common gut disorder affects 10-15% of the global population and 7% in Hong Kong. The answer to your belly troubles may finally be within reach. Find out if irritable bowel syndrome is treatable and take control of your gut health.

What is irritable bowel syndrome?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), also known as irritable colon, mucus colitis, and spastic colon, is one of the most common digestive disorders. It usually causes abdominal pain, bloating, changes in bowel habits, and sometimes a pain that feels like a "twisted towel", usually lasting a few weeks to a month. The disease is often associated with emotional tension, anxiety, stress.

The four main types of irritable bowel syndrome

According to the Rome III criteria by the American College of Gastroenterology, irritable bowel syndrome can be classified into four categories, including:

Diarrhoea: The stools are usually mushy or watery and rarely hard.

Constipated: The stools are usually too hard or too dry and rarely have a loose consistency.

Mixed: stools are sometimes loose and sometimes too hard, alternating between the two.

Unclassifiable: Normal stool condition, rarely seen above.

Irritable bowel symptoms can be easily confused with other gastrointestinal problems such as gastroenteritis and colorectal cancer. You may need detailed tests such as blood tests, stool tests, abdominal imaging and colonoscopy to help you make a diagnosis before you miss out on treatment. If a person has more than two symptoms, he or she may have irritable bowel syndrome.

1. Abdominal pain or discomfort at least one day a week for the past three months;

2. Pain/abdominal discomfort associated with bowel movements;

3. Change in frequency of bowel movements;

4. Change in the shape of the stool;

5. The symptoms have persisted over the past three months;

6. The symptoms occurred six months prior to diagnosis.

Is irritable bowel syndrome treatable?

While there's no cure, the right combination of medication, diet, and emotional therapy can drastically reduce its impact on the patient’s life. For patients with diarrhoea, you may consider rectifying pills and probiotics to relieve discomfort; for constipation, apart from probiotics, you may also consider laxative pills and fibre powder, both of which can help promote bowel movement.

Apart from medication, you can also improve your lifestyle by reducing the consumption of milk or soy products to reduce the fermentation of food in the intestines and the production of gas that causes bloating and discomfort. Exercise, relaxation, and better lifestyle habits can also help soothe the mind and gut. Irritable bowel can be effectively managed through a combination of medication, diet and emotional therapy.