Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

What is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

IBS is a gastrointestinal (GI) disorder that causes recurring abdominal pain and problems with bowel movements that can affect your quality of life. It’s a disorder of gut-brain interactions, meaning the symptoms are the result of changes in communication between your brain and gut.

Your gut has its own nervous system that communicates with the brain. Though researchers are still learning about the gut’s nervous system, it contains many of the same neurotransmitters as the brain and may play a central role in physical and mental well-being.

With IBS, the alterations in communication between the gut and brain may cause changes in bowel contractions (changing bowel habits) or make the gut more sensitive to pain.

What are the symptoms of IBS?

Abdominal pain alongside a change in bowel habits are the most common symptoms of IBS. You may have pain in the abdomen along with diarrhea, constipation, or both. 

Though your symptoms are very real, IBS doesn’t cause any visible damage to your GI tract.

What happens during an IBS evaluation?

Dr. Harrington conducts a thorough history and physical when you come in for an IBS consultation. She asks detailed questions about your symptoms and when they occur. She also reviews your usual diet and exercise habits, as well as your medical and family history.

Dr. Harrington does a physical exam and may request blood work or stool testing to confirm or rule out a diagnosis. She may also have you undergo an endoscopy or colonoscopy, so she can evaluate your GI tract to confirm your symptoms are due to IBS and not some other GI condition like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or colon cancer. 

What are some treatment options for IBS?

Dr. Harrington takes an integrative approach to care, combining traditional medical interventions with complementary therapies to help you manage your IBS symptoms. Some of the treatments options for IBS include:

• Diet changes
• Regular exercise
• Stress management
• Sleep hygiene
• Medication to manage diarrhea or constipation
• Antispasmodics 
• Antidepressants

Dr. Harrington’s treatment for IBS focuses on lifestyle modifications. Stress is a common trigger for IBS, and finding healthy outlets to improve stress can ease your symptoms. 

Some people may also notice that certain foods trigger their IBS symptoms. Dr. Harrington can help design a plan that provides the nutrition you need without the pain.

Dr. Harrington may also choose to start medications that have been approved for IBS and have been shown to improve symptoms of IBS.

For expert management of IBS, schedule an appointment at the office of Allison Harrington Sirakos, MD, by calling or booking online today.