NYP Brooklyn Methodist

Winter 2018

Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/915948

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 19 of 31

Changes in bowel movements and abdominal pain are not the only signs of IBS. Other digestive-related symptoms may include bloating, gas and a feeling of fullness in the stomach. Additional symptoms may have nothing to do with the gut, including fatigue, muscle aches, back pain, headaches, changes in urination and discomfort during sex. Those who experience IBS symptoms may feel isolated, but they are far from alone. IBS affects millions of people worldwide—up to 15 percent of the population at some point in their lives—and it is one of the most common reasons for people to see their primary care doctor. Gastroenterologists diagnose IBS more frequently than any other condition. Women are especially vulnerable—they develop IBS at a rate nearly twice that of men, perhaps due to differences in the way women's enteric nervous systems and brains interpret messages from the intestines. Greater willingness on the part of women to see a doctor when symptoms arise may also explain their higher rates of diagnosis. No two people's experiences with IBS are precisely the same, as the condition's symptoms vary from person to person in frequency, severity and effect on quality of life. Individuals with mild or moderate IBS may only experience flare-ups during times of stress, and the impact on their lives may be minimal. For those on the severe end of the symptom spectrum, however, the condition is significantly more disruptive and distressing. "For certain patients, IBS can be incapacitating, and it may impact many aspects of life," says Smruti Mohanty, M.D., chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatobiliary Disease and director of the Center for Liver Disease at NYP Brooklyn Methodist. "Stomach pain, and for those who have diarrhea, frequent trips to the bathroom, can hurt their performance at work, throw their day-to-day schedules off balance, and damage relationships with family and friends by making patients restrict social interactions." A DIAGNOSIS OF ELIMINATION No test can definitively diagnose IBS. Doctors rely on a detailed history, a physical exam, and perhaps most importantly, tests to rule out other, more serious illnesses. "IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion," Dr. Mohanty says. "Its symptoms can overlap with those of other diseases, so we want to eliminate those possibilities first. We use blood tests to check for anemia, celiac disease, uncontrolled diabetes, an overactive thyroid and inflammatory bowel diseases, like ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. A stool sample can rule out infection. Most patients also have an endoscopy to check the stomach and colon for cancer." If all these test results are negative, IBS is the diagnosis. The next step is pinpointing the dominant symptom and classifying the condition. That is important because the main symptom guides doctors' treatment recommendations. For example, dietary changes they may suggest differ depending WINTER 2018 W W W.N Y P.O RG / BRO OKLY N 20 S P E C I A L R E P O R T

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of NYP Brooklyn Methodist - Winter 2018