1.What is irritable bowel syndrome?
Many people come to the hospital with symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation. Various digestive and non-digestive tests have been done, and they all indicate that there is no abnormality, but these digestive symptoms do exist. In this case, we should consider whether we have “irritable bowel syndrome”. Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional gastrointestinal disorder that refers to a syndrome of abdominal pain, bloating, abnormal bowel habits and stool characteristics that persists or occurs intermittently without morphological or biochemical abnormalities. This disease is very common in clinical practice and is mostly seen in young and middle-aged people.
What are the causes of irritable bowel syndrome?
The pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome is not well understood and is related to a variety of factors. However, the most commonly recognized causes are intestinal infections and psychological disorders. In addition, there are genetic factors, food factors, drug factors, neurological and endocrine factors, etc. Various factors cause abnormal gastrointestinal dynamics, hyperresponsiveness of intestinal motility and abnormal sensitivity of visceral sensation.
3.Is irritable bowel syndrome indigestion?
Although irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia are both functional diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, they are two separate diseases. Functional dyspepsia, also known as indigestion, refers to a group of clinical syndromes in which symptoms such as fullness, early satiety, epigastric pain, burning sensation in the epigastrium occur after meals, and organic diseases causing the above symptoms are excluded by examination. Although the symptoms overlap with those of irritable bowel syndrome, the latter has more lower abdominal symptoms, such as lower abdominal pain, diarrhea, and alternating diarrhea and constipation. The diagnosis and staging of the two diseases are different, and both need to receive comprehensive and individualized treatment.
4.What are the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome?
(1) Abdominal pain: It is the most important symptom, which occurs easily after eating, mostly in the lower abdomen and left lower abdomen. Mostly relieved after defecation or exhaustion.
(2) Diarrhea: usually about 3 to 5 times a day, the stools are mostly in the form of thin paste, but can also be soft stools or thin watery stools. Mostly with mucus, but never pus and blood.
(3) Constipation: dry stool, small amount, may be more mucus, constipation may alternate with diarrhea.
(4) Abdominal distension: heavier during the day, especially in the afternoon, and reduced at night after sleep.
5.What are the diagnostic criteria of irritable bowel syndrome?
Currently, irritable bowel syndrome is considered to be a functional disease, and the diagnosis is mainly based on symptomatology, and organic diseases should be excluded. The internationally accepted Rome III diagnostic criteria are: recurrent episodes of abdominal pain or discomfort, with symptoms occurring at least 3 days per month in the last 3 months, combined with 2 or more of the following: (1) relief of symptoms after defecation; (2) change in frequency of defecation during episodes; and (3) change in stool characteristics (appearance) during episodes.
The symptoms have been present for at least 6 months prior to diagnosis, and the above criteria have been met in the last 3 months.
6.What tests can help to confirm the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome?
Although irritable bowel syndrome is a functional disease, there are many organic gastrointestinal diseases with symptoms similar to irritable bowel. The necessary clinical tests are: (1) blood, urine, stool routine, fecal bacterial culture; (2) blood biochemistry, blood sedimentation, liver function; (3) colonoscopy or barium enema X-ray; (4) abdominal B-ultrasound, etc. The diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome can be made only after these tests exclude organic lesions.
7.What diseases should be excluded to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome?
Irritable bowel syndrome has many symptoms and varies greatly among individuals, so it needs to be carefully differentiated from various intestinal diseases. Common diseases include ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, intestinal tuberculosis, chronic dysentery, malabsorption syndrome, tumors of the colon and rectum, and peptic ulcers.
8.How is irritable bowel syndrome treated?
For functional disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, individualized treatment is important because of the great variation in clinical manifestations, including.
(1) General treatment: Carefully find the cause of the disease, make dietary adjustments according to the cause, develop healthy living habits and active physical exercise, etc.
(2) Drug therapy: according to the patient’s specific symptoms, take the appropriate drugs according to the disease typology.
(3) Psychological and behavioral therapy.
9.How to treat irritable bowel syndrome mainly with diarrhea?
(1) Anti-diarrheal, such as compound phenylephrine, now commonly used in the treatment of montmorillonite, can adsorb toxins, promote mucosal repair, the effect is better.
(2) Antispasmodic and analgesic, such as 654-2 or Mebeverine to slow down the intestinal peristalsis and relieve pain.
(3) Regulate intestinal microecology, with microecological regulators to correct intestinal flora dysbiosis, restore and maintain the stability of the intestinal microbial ecosystem, and change the intestinal motility function. Commonly used probiotic preparations include: Bifidobacterium triplex (Pfeiffer), whole intestine, etc.
10.How to treat the irritable bowel syndrome mainly constipation?
(1) Adjust the diet: eat foods that soften and expand the volume of stool, such as food with more coarse fiber and vegetables, drink more water in appropriate amounts, and have regular bowel movements.
(2) Oral laxative medication: Lactulose is preferred to increase the frequency of stool, soften the stool and relieve the difficulty of defecation. If it cannot be relieved, you can take oral medication to promote gastrointestinal peristalsis, such as cisapride, to increase the gastrointestinal propulsion and promote defecation.
11.How to treat the abdominal pain of irritable bowel syndrome?
Abdominal pain is the most common manifestation of irritable bowel syndrome, rapid pain relief can effectively improve the symptoms. Currently, the more commonly used are selective intestinal smooth muscle calcium channel antagonists, such as pivelbromium and oxybutynin, or ion channel modulators, such as trimetabutin maleate. All of these drugs have a good safety profile. In addition, hint therapy or local heat, physical therapy, massage, etc. often have a good effect.
12.Why is psychological treatment necessary for irritable bowel syndrome?
Psychological factors play an important role in functional disorders like irritable bowel syndrome. The function of the intestinal tract is mainly regulated by the visceral nervous system, and psychological factors have a great impact on the function of the visceral nerves. At the same time, gastrointestinal symptoms can in turn affect the mental state, such as apprehension, irritability, inability to concentrate or make decisions, and memory loss due to recurring intestinal symptoms. If psychological treatment is not taken seriously, a vicious cycle may occur.
13.How can I eat well if I have irritable bowel syndrome?
According to research, the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are related to diet, and the pro-dynamic and pro-gastrointestinal hormone secretion effects of food, food intolerance, food allergy and poor eating habits are all important causes of the disease. Therefore, patients with irritable bowel syndrome should pay attention to.
(1) Eat regularly and avoid overeating.
(2) Avoid excessive alcohol consumption and caffeine intake.
(3) Do not eat a high-fat diet.
(4) Eat less gas-producing foods.
(5) Eat more foods with high dietary fiber, have enough vegetables and fruits in your daily diet, and increase the intake of coarse grains appropriately. Do the basic principle of regular diet, light, easy to digest, less greasy.
14.What else should I pay attention to besides diet?
The causes of irritable bowel syndrome are many, the symptoms are different, and the treatment plans are also very different. In addition to diet regulation, healthy living habits and proper physical exercise are two aspects that must be paid attention to in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Only by having a calm mind, regular work and rest, and active participation in sports, can we effectively promote recovery and prevent relapse. For example, various ball games, outdoor activities and fitness exercises can make people feel relaxed, mentally relaxed and physically enhanced, which fundamentally eliminates the causes of irritable bowel syndrome and will naturally receive good results. With persistence, the stubborn irritable bowel syndrome will become less troublesome.
15.Can probiotic supplementation improve irritable bowel syndrome?
Some research shows that patients with irritable bowel syndrome have intestinal flora disorder, the number of E. coli and Lactobacillus is obviously reduced, and the number of Bifidobacterium is also reduced. After clinical administration of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus preparations, the overall condition, bloating, abdominal pain, number of bowel movements and stool properties of the patients were significantly improved. Therefore, probiotic supplementation is an important therapeutic measure for irritable bowel syndrome. In addition, patients with irritable bowel syndrome can usually drink more probiotic yogurt, which can help increase the number of beneficial intestinal bacteria, regulate the dysbiosis and promote recovery.
16.Can irritable bowel syndrome be cured?
There are many irritable bowel syndrome patients who suffer from anxiety, depression and even fear due to recurring attacks and long periods of time spent in treatment. This can seriously affect work and life. In fact, there is no need to panic, irritable bowel syndrome can be prevented and treated, as long as we seek timely medical attention, follow medical treatment, adjust emotions, improve habits, active exercise, improve their own resistance, irritable bowel syndrome will definitely be cured.
17.What are the dangers of irritable bowel syndrome?
(1) Irritable bowel syndrome affects the patient’s study and work, and seriously affects the patient’s quality of life. Long-term and stubborn symptoms cause great mental stress to patients, and many patients often suspect that they have a difficult disease because of recurrent attacks and no positive findings in relevant tests, and therefore suffer from depression, anxiety and other psychological diseases.
(2) Long-term diarrhea leads to a decrease in immunity, malnutrition, anemia and vitamin deficiency, and other diseases, especially for pregnant women and the elderly, the disease can lead to more serious consequences.
18.Will irritable bowel syndrome become cancerous?
”Do I have cancer? Is it malignant? Many patients with irritable bowel syndrome ask this question when they see their doctors. Because the diagnosis and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome often take many detours, resulting in a long course of the disease and a long time of treatment, patients often repeatedly undergo various tests and seek medical treatment everywhere, which seriously affects their life and work. In fact, irritable bowel syndrome is a functional disease that does not cause cancer or malignant transformation. As long as you follow the doctor’s instructions, keep a good mood and have a firm belief in winning, you will definitely be cured.
19.Is irritable bowel syndrome hereditary?
Many patients have the disease since childhood, and some suffer from the syndrome since adolescence, and have a family history, and there can be more than one person suffering from the disease in the same family or household. Therefore, irritable bowel syndrome may have a genetic link. A study at the University of Sydney, Australia, concluded that people with irritable bowel syndrome also have such symptoms in their immediate family members.
20. Is irritable bowel syndrome contagious?
Irritable bowel syndrome is a gastrointestinal disorder, there is no organic lesion, and there is no bacterial or viral infection, so it is not contagious, and there is no problem to contact and live together with the patient.
21.Who is prone to irritable bowel syndrome?
According to the survey, most of the patients with irritable bowel syndrome are young and middle-aged, and the age of 18 to 30 is the high incidence group, and the first incidence is rare after the age of 50. The incidence of women is more than men, the ratio of men to women is about 1:2. White-collar workers, students and cadres are higher than workers and farmers; urban patients are significantly more than rural patients. It is thought to be related to excessive work and study pressure, fast-paced life, irregular diet and work and rest, etc. Some of the patients have insomnia, anxiety, depression, dizziness, headache and other symptoms.
22.How to protect your stomach and intestines from irritable bowel syndrome?
As the saying goes, the stomach depends on nourishment, and only by treating the stomach and intestines well can they serve the body better. Irregular diet, spicy and stimulating food, uncontrolled drinking, overeating; irregular work and rest, staying up late with extra meals, not eating breakfast and other insignificant small details often lead to big problems in the long run. To advocate good habits, always maintain an optimistic attitude, a calm mood, happy life and work. Actively participate in physical exercise to enhance physical fitness. Protect your stomach and intestines by paying attention to these small problems in life, protect your body and keep irritable bowel syndrome away from you.
23.What is irritable bowel syndrome after intestinal infection?
After bacterial infection of the intestine, even though the inflammation of the intestinal mucosa has subsided, the infectious factors have been removed, and the enteroscopy has been completely normal. However, the abnormal intestinal function caused by inflammation still persists for quite a long time. This condition is irritable bowel syndrome after intestinal infection and may be related to the changes in the immune system that occur in the intestine to fight against bacterial infection.
24.What is intestinal hypersensitivity?
I often hear some people complain that their intestines are very “delicate”, for example, when everyone eats the same thing, others are fine after eating, but they have abdominal pain and diarrhea; sometimes abdominal pain and bloating can occur when they are emotionally stressed, and the number of bowel movements and exhaustion increases, but it gets better after defecation and exhaustion. In severe cases, after eating or drinking water, there will be a sense of defecation, and defecation is mostly unshaped, or even thin watery stool. This is a manifestation of intestinal hypersensitivity, which is caused by changes in the function of the intestinal nervous system and intestinal endocrine cells, and is a manifestation of an excessive dynamic response to various physiological and non-physiological stimuli. It is a common symptom of irritable bowel syndrome and requires prompt examination and treatment at a hospital.
25.What are the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome that need to be alerted?
Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional lesion, and although it has a long course, it mostly does not affect the general health condition. Since the diagnosis of the disease is based on the exclusion of organic lesions, once the following alarming symptoms are detected during the treatment process, it is necessary to be alert: fever, weight loss within a short period of time, blood in stool or black stool, anemia, abdominal masses, and obvious progress of the disease within a short period of time, relevant examinations should be conducted immediately to find out whether organic lesions are present to prevent delaying the disease.
26.Why do different doctors say different things about irritable bowel syndrome?
Many patients often have this question: Why do they say different things after seeing many doctors? What is the most effective treatment? In fact, since the term irritable bowel syndrome was introduced in 1944, modern research on the disease has been conducted for more than 60 years. However, because of its complex and diverse clinical manifestations and recurrent symptoms without specificity, the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease are still not fully understood, and treatment methods vary. Nowadays, scientists are doing more and more research on the neuro-endocrine-immune network, and some new theories such as the brain-gut axis theory are gradually recognized. It is believed that in the near future people will decipher the code of irritable bowel syndrome and fully grasp its secrets.