Often stomach pain, abdominal discomfort, a bowel movement will be much more comfortable …… sometimes constipation, sometimes diarrhea, persistent, intermittent episodes …… not long after eating, want to defecate, feel the stomach cramps, defecate it is good …… If you often experience the above, then it is likely that you have an intestinal dysfunctional disease – irritable bowel syndrome. The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional bowel disease that is highly prevalent worldwide, with a prevalence of 10% to 20%. The prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome is 5.67% to 10.9% in some regions of China; patients are mostly aged 20-50 years old, i.e., the prevalence is high in young adults and decreases in old age. Irritable bowel syndrome has similar symptoms to anal diseases such as diarrhea and constipation. The diagnosis is often made clinically using an exclusionary approach, which means that the diagnosis is made after a long and multifaceted examination to exclude organic diseases. In life, we can also use our own preliminary judgment to know whether we have this disease. Let’s take a look at the typical symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and see how many of them match your condition. Abdominal pain Abdominal pain is one of the main symptoms, and it can strike anywhere in the abdomen. Sometimes it hurts in one area, sometimes it is a diffuse, spreading pain from one area to the surrounding area. It occurs most often in the left lower abdomen. What kind of pain does it feel like? Sometimes it is a swelling pain, sometimes it is a cramp-like pain, and sometimes it hurts like being hit hard by a dull object …… The degree of pain varies from person to person. Generally, the pain is severe before a bowel movement and worsens after eating cold food. Diarrhea or constipationIn some cases, people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome have a change in their bowel pattern. One type of diarrhea is diarrhea, which is easy to diarrhea, the discharge is mostly mucous or watery, and may be several times a day or even a dozen times a day; even then, there is a feeling of incomplete bowel movement. It is severe during the day and basically does not show similar symptoms at night; if fasting for 72 hours, the diarrhea symptoms will disappear. Some of them have alternating diarrhea and constipation. Most of those who have symptoms of constipation are women. Observing one’s stool can reveal that there is more mucus. Constipation occurs intermittently in the early stages and gradually develops into persistent constipation as time lengthens. If you rely on laxatives for long-term bowel movements, you may also experience alternation with diarrhea in the short term. A typical characteristic of bloating is that it is severe during the day and decreases at night when you sleep, after farting or defecating. Moreover, bloating is usually accompanied by constipation and diarrhea. Mental stress, insomnia and depression Research data show that 40-80% of patients with irritable bowel syndrome have psychiatric symptoms and tend to overreact to various external influences. The main manifestations are irritability, anxiety, depression, insomnia, excessive dreaming, etc. In addition, about 50% of patients with irritable bowel syndrome experience frequent urination, urgent urination, incomplete bowel movements, and in severe cases, even sexual dysfunction. Behind constipation and diarrhea, which are common diseases in life, there may be a not-so-simple cause hidden. If you find that you are not simply suffering from diarrhea or constipation, my advice is only one: go to a specialized hospital and ask your doctor for an early consultation.