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Do You Have Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Do you often have abdominal cramps or bloating? Are your bowel movements difficult? Or do you have trouble getting to the bathroom fast enough? If so, you may have irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. IBS is a very common condition. People who have IBS have digestive tracts that react abnormally to certain substances or to stress, leading to symptoms like cramps, gas, bloating, pain, constipation, and diarrhea. 
What Is IBS? Bowel is another name for intestine. With IBS, the bowel has no structural changes—it looks normal. But it doesn’t work normally. This leads to symptoms. The large intestine (colon) is typically involved. It is not clear what causes IBS. Some people first develop IBS during a stressful time in their lives. In other cases, it follows a gastrointestinal infection. In still other cases, there’s no obvious trigger. But it is a very real medical problem.
Only your doctor can diagnose and treat a medical problem. ©2001 The StayWell Company, 1100 Grundy Lane, San Bruno, CA 94066-3030. www.staywell.com 800 333-3032. All rights reserved. |
