Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome
Other names	Spastic colon, nervous colon, mucous colitis, spastic bowel[1]
3D depiction of the pain of IBS
Medical specialty	Gastroenterology
Symptoms	Diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain[1]
Usual onset	Before 45 years old[1]
Duration	Long term[2]
Causes	Unknown[2]
Risk factors	Genetic predisposition,[3] psychological stress,[4] childhood abuse, food poisoning,[5] psychiatric illness[6]
Diagnostic method	Based on symptoms, exclusion of other diseases
Differential diagnosis	Celiac disease, giardiasis, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, microscopic colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, small intestine bacterial overgrowth, bile acid malabsorption, colon cancer
Treatment	Symptomatic (dietary changes, medication, human milk oligosaccharides, probiotics, counseling)
Prognosis	Normal life expectancy
Frequency	10–15% (developed world) and 15–45% (globally)

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder by a group of symptoms that usually include abdominal pain, abdominal bloating and changes in bowel movements.^[1] These symptoms may happen over a long time, sometimes for years.^[2] IBS can affect quality of life and may impact daily life activities.^[7] Disorders such as anxiety, major depression, and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are common among people with IBS.^{[1][8][note 1][9]}

The cause of IBS is not known, but it can be triggered by stress,^[10] or an intestinal infection.^[11]