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Describing the main IBS symptoms can be quite difficult - not only are many of them are also common to other conditions, they also vary from one individual to another. Thus it is hard to know what precipitates an incident.
Recognising IBS symptoms is important, however, with up to 15% of the British population experiencing this unpleasant condition at least occasionally. To help you recognise this problem better, the main IBS symptoms are described below. They include:
- Pain:
Stomach pain is the most common problem. It can range from mild to severe, and can be made either better or worse by opening your bowels, passing wind or eating. It can also occur at certain times of day, and for women may also be provoked by their menstrual cycle.
- Change in bowel habits:
Many people find that their stools vary from loose and watery to hard and pellet-like, or that they sometimes simply pass small amounts of mucus. Alternatively, you may alternate between periods of constipation and diarrhoea.
- In general, people tend to experience one of other of these main problems - pain, constipation or recurring diarrhoea.
- In addition, you may find that you experience bloating in your stomach, pass excessive amounts of wind, or feel nauseous.
While this condition is more of an irritant than anything else, it is still worth seeing your doctor to be sure that there isn't an underlying problem.
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