How serious is IBS?
Although the symptoms can be at best bothersome and at worst, disabling, IBS is not life-threatening nor is it associated with an increased risk of cancer, inflammatory bowel disease or other dangerous or life-threatening diseases. 70% of patients may suffer from their IBS symptoms more often than once a week. IBS-related health care costs and productivity losses are conservatively estimated at $30 billion per year. On average it takes up to three years before IBS sufferers receive a proper diagnosis from the time they first experience their symptoms. This delay may occur because symptoms were not taken seriously at first or because of an extensive workup or even surgeries for other possible causes of abdominal pain, such as appendicitis, gallbladder disease or gynecologic disease. These surgeries are present with greater frequency in IBS patients as opposed to healthy persons. Nearly 1 in 20 women with IBS reported being hospitalized in the previous year and another 25% reported being
Although IBS is not life threatening, your doctor plays a vital role in accurate diagnosis and subsequent treatment. This occaisionally requires referral to a specialist or intestinal disorders. Because of the complex nature of this disorder, your physician must get a thorough medical history including medications, other health problems, dietary habits, exercise patterns and home/work environments. The physical exam is occasionally very helpful in identifying painful areas. Almost everyone, particularly if a patient is older than 50, should have the lining of the rectum directly examined with a flexible lighted instrument called a sigmoidoscope on a regular basis. Sometimes an examination of the total colon (a colonoscopy or barium enema) is necessary. Anyone with blood in the stool definitely needs the most thorough of examinations such as a colonoscopy. After performing these tests, your doctor can assure you with a great degree of certainty that you have no actual structural abnorma
IBS is a medical condition with recurring symptoms that reduces quality of life. IBS requires proper diagnosis and management. However, IBS has not been shown to cause any dangerous or life-threatening consequences such as cancer. What is the impact of IBS? • IBS affects up to 20% of the adult American population. • More than 70% of patients may suffer from their IBS symptoms more often than once a week. • IBS costs the US healthcare system an estimated $30 billion annually. • On average it takes up to 3 years before IBS sufferers receive a proper diagnosis from the time they first experience symptoms. This may in part be due to the fact that patients’ symptoms were not initially recognized as a serious medical condition. What is IBS with constipation? IBS with constipation, or IBS-C, is characterized by abdominal discomfort or pain, bloating, and constipation as the primary bowel symptom. Approximately 6 million women in the US suffer from IBS-C. What causes IBS with constipation? Con
