Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common clinical condition of the functional intestinal tract, which is characterized by abdominal discomfort, abdominal pain, and changes in bowel habits and stool shape. The cause of irritable bowel syndrome, which is significantly more common in women than in men, is not known. It is worth noting that patients mostly occur in adolescence and early adulthood, and the first onset after the age of 50 is rare. there is no single drug that can cure all types of IBS, and the principle of individualized treatment must be emphasized, among which psychotherapy and anti-anxiety and antidepressant therapy have good efficacy in refractory IBS. IBS is also a medical problem that deserves attention in China, because it not only affects the life and It not only affects the quality of life and work of patients, but also increases the burden of family and society.
How can I tell if I have irritable bowel syndrome?
Irritable bowel syndrome has an insidious onset, with recurrent or chronic symptoms that can last for years to decades, but the general health of the patient is not affected. Psychiatric and dietary factors can often trigger recurrent or worsening symptoms. In addition, some patients with IBS often have functional dyspepsia (FD) and gastroesophageal reflux disease, and often have extraintestinal manifestations that are easily overlooked, such as headache, pain in multiple areas such as the lower back, difficulty urinating or painful urination. Due to the limitation of space, patients and friends can determine whether they are suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (hereinafter referred to as IBS) based on the following intestinal symptoms
1. Abdominal pain.
Most patients with IBS have abdominal pain of varying degrees, and the nature of the pain is sharp, crampy and dull, etc. The location is variable, with lower abdomen and left lower abdomen being the most common. Most of them are relieved after defecation or exhaustion. Very rarely, the pain wakes up during sleep. Abdominal pain usually occurs after a meal, but there is no evidence to suggest which type or type of food can cause IBS.
2. Diarrhea.
Usually 3-5 times daily, with a few severe episodes of up to a dozen times. The stool is mostly thin paste, but can also be formed soft stool or thin watery stool, mostly with mucus, some patients have little stool quality but a lot of mucus, but never pus and blood. Defecation does not disturb sleep. Some patients have alternating diarrhea and constipation.
3. Constipation.
Difficult defecation, dry stool, small amount, sheep feces or fine rod shape, mucus may be attached to the surface.
4.Other gastrointestinal symptoms.
Abdominal flatulence or bloating feeling, may have a sense of incomplete defecation, defecation embarrassment. Some patients also have indigestion symptoms.
5, systemic symptoms.
A considerable number of patients may have non-specific psychiatric symptoms, such as insomnia, anxiety, depression, dizziness, headache and difficulty concentrating, which may be accompanied by obsessive-compulsive ideas and compulsive behavior.
6.Signs.
No obvious signs, there may be light pressure pain in the corresponding part, some patients may palpate the salami-like intestinal canal, rectal finger examination may feel anal spasm, high tension, and may have tenderness.
How to quickly identify patients with IBS with psychological disorders?
Patients with IBS with psychological disorders have some characteristics, such as excessive concern about physical discomfort, the amount of exhaust, the smell of exhaust, afraid to go to public places, etc. In fact, there is no bitterness in the mouth, dry mouth, or bad taste in the mouth (psychiatry calls it “conversion symptoms”, i.e., mental anxiety is converted into discomfort in one part of the body). I have summarized the following psychological disorder identification clues from years of clinical and basic research on psychosomatic digestive diseases for your reference, which are of practical value for the rapid identification of patients with IBS with psychological disorders.
1. Long history of illness and self-perception of the whole body. (The longer the medical history, the smaller the possibility of major organic lesions)
2, “excessive” examination and treatment: a large number of examination documents. (The more tests, the more meaningless, the more treatment, the more inaccurate)
3, bizarre complaints: excessive attention to stool (normal as abnormal), exhaust, body deformation (often do beauty, weight loss), eating health products, throat discomfort, overly careful, easy to be implied.
4.Patients waiting for consultation are impatient, knocking frequently, and their words and behaviors are distracting.
5.Inexplicable pain in various places (anal pain, chest pain, low back pain, breast pain), ineffective analgesics, undergoing multiple surgeries (common gallbladder, appendectomy, breast, spine, dissection, etc.) but with poor results.
6.Highly sensitive to gastroscopy, difficulty in entering the mirror, more than one cry of pain or frequent vomiting, hiccups.
7, bring your own sheet of condition, lest there be any omission (compliance rate > 90%)
8, bitter mouth, dry mouth, thick tongue. (Actually, it is not dry and not bitter.) Bad taste in the mouth.
9.Speaking incessantly, difficult to interrupt, or answer performance response is slow, the answer is not the question.
10.Repeatedly repeating a symptom of discomfort, lest the doctor did not hear or did not pay attention to their complaints.
11.Repeatedly going in and out of the clinic several times to consult the physician about the same problem, lest you miss one.