Healthcare providers now know the mechanisms behind IBS are more complex.
This article provides an overview of spastic colon, including symptoms, triggers and causes, and treatment options.
Other Names
Spastic colon is also known as irritable bowel syndrome.
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It can also be called:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
IBS is afunctional gastrointestinal disorder.
IBS is diagnosed after your healthcare provider has ruled out other disorders.
Spastic Colon Symptoms
People with IBS experience varioussymptomsrelated to the functioning of thelarge intestine.
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
They may have chronic constipation or urgent bouts of diarrhea.
Many people find themselves alternating between the two bowel problems.
Other IBS symptoms include:
See your healthcare provider if you experience any of these symptoms.
Other disorders that may be more serious share similar symptoms.
It’s important to receive a proper diagnosis so you get the appropriate treatment plan.
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Causes
No one knows for sure why some people end up with IBS.
However, there’s much more information on what might have gone wrong than in the past.
A reason why IBS is hard to understand and treat is that several different factors may cause it.
Treatment
There’s no one cure for IBS.
They can include:
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes.
Back pain is a common symptom in people with IBS.
Up to 75% of IBS patients continue to have the condition five years later.
However, someone with IBS might not have symptoms all the time.
They may experience flare-ups that last anywhere from a few days to several weeks.
Most often, IBS flares last less than one week and usually don’t continue more than three days.
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms and causes of irritable bowel syndrome.
International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.Medications for IBS.
International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.Overview of symptoms.
International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.Overlapping conditions with IBS.
Harvard Health Publishing.Best ways to battle irritable bowel syndrome.
Saha L. Irritable bowel syndrome:Pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and evidence-based medicine.World J Gastroenterol.
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Minocha A, Adamec C.The Encyclopedia of the Digestive System and Digestive Disorders.
(2nd Ed.)
New York: Facts on File.
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