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Article: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Article from:
- Today's Woman
- Article date:
- February 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Today's Woman LLC Feb 2002. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal condition whose hallmarks include chronic or recurrent altered stool passage and lower abdominal pain or cramps associated with stool passage. In IBS, digestion and absorption of nutrients is not disturbed. Those with IBS are hypersensitive to painful stimuli originating from the gut. IBS is not diagnosed by X-rays or medical tests, but is concluded after obtaining a detailed history and physical exam.
What are the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Patterns of bowel passage in IBS include constipation, diarrhea, or alternating constipation and diarrhea. Bowel movements may relieve abdominal pain or ...