2023-12-06 03:47:47
Are you used to stomach pain, bloating, and your transit is regularly disrupted? What if you were affected, like many French people, by irritable bowel syndrome? It is a relatively benign but very common condition. And although it does not endanger our lives, its chronicity and its symptoms make it very painful for everyone affected. Especially since there isn’t much you can do to get rid of it. As is often the case with intestinal problems, we do not know this disorder that well. However, here is something to familiarize yourself with about it, and perhaps explain symptoms for which many do not even take the trouble to consult.
What is irritable bowel syndrome?
Irritable bowel syndrome is also known as irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. We sometimes also speak of functional colopathy. In fact, the term irritable bowel syndrome is no longer used by health professionals because the disease also affects the small intestine. As its name suggests, it is a disorder of the digestive system. This is characterized by pain and discomfort in the stomach.
It is a fairly common disorder: it is estimated that up to 10 to 20% of people suffer from it in developed countries, and at least 5% of French people. This is the most common cause of gastroenterology consultation, accounting for 30 to 50% of visits. The majority of cases are women, about twice as many as men. These figures should nevertheless be taken with a grain of salt, since many people do not consult them. It is estimated that only 15% of people concerned consult.
It is most often a chronic disorder, which usually begins in young adults, and is most often diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 40. It is nevertheless characterized by periods of remission and others of crisis. In some cases, the symptoms are permanent. To be characterized as such, the symptoms must appear at least once a week during the last three months, and be present more or less frequently for more than six months. Fortunately, it is a mild illness, in the sense that it does not cause complications or risks to the health of those affected, nor does it affect their life expectancy, but the symptoms that accompany it do not ‘remain no less uncomfortable or even painful. Contrary to what one might fear, it therefore does not increase the risk of suffering from chronic inflammatory bowel disease (or IBD), Crohn’s disease or colon cancer.
A simple medical examination is generally sufficient to establish the diagnosis. However, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to have recourse to additional examinations such as a blood test, a colonoscopy, stool analyzes or others, in order to eliminate the possibility of another pathology, which could by Examples include Crohn’s disease, lactose intolerance, celiac disease, and many other digestive disorders. However, this is only necessary for patients over 50 years old or returning from abroad, or when the usual symptoms are accompanied by other manifestations or are abnormal (for example, at night, which is not necessary). ‘ordinarily not the case).
Causes of irritable bowel syndrome
The causes behind its appearance are still poorly understood. One avenue mentioned is that of proteases, which are enzymes whose function is to digest proteins. These would have abnormally high activity in certain patients. Others talk about an imbalance in the microbiota that makes up our intestinal flora.
However, we know that certain situations are more likely to favor its appearance. It can, for example, result from gastroenteritis. Other psychological or physiological factors can also come into play: this is the case of fatigue or stress. Finally, diet also plays a role, particularly meals that are too copious or poorly balanced. These factors will have an influence on the occurrence of periods of crisis or, on the contrary, remission. Although these psychological factors have long suggested a psychosomatic disorder, there are many functional causes at its origin.
What are the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome?
This syndrome is characterized by abnormalities in the circulation of food within the colon, because it contracts too weakly or too strongly. In the first case, the food moves too slowly, in the second too quickly, which leads to constipation and diarrhea respectively.
There are different types of symptoms. The first of these is abdominal pain. Generally speaking, people affected by the syndrome have more sensitive intestines. Phenomena that do not necessarily cause pain to other people may do so, for example simple contractions of the intestine, or bloating and other flatulence. In addition, the walls of the intestine would be more permeable, which would favor the entry of pro-inflammatory molecules into the body. It is because of this hypersensitivity that the syndrome gets its name. These pains will therefore be characterized by sensations of cramps or spasms in the iliac fossae (on the sides of the stomach) as well as the navel. These symptoms are usually relieved by the emission of gas. They most often appear after meals, but sometimes as soon as you wake up, and tend to subside at night.
In addition to this pain, patients often complain of bloating. These are more uncomfortable than anything else, on the one hand because they can make wearing certain clothes, close to the body, embarrassing, on the other hand because they are generally accompanied by noises linked to movement gases and liquids within the digestive tract, which can naturally cause some discomfort in society. These symptoms are again relieved when the patient evacuates the gas or stools which are the cause.
Finally, we mentioned it above, but the syndrome is also accompanied by transit disorders, which can be characterized by diarrhea as well as constipation. In the majority of people, it is rather the second – but other people will feel an urgent and frequent need during the day to have a bowel movement, particularly after meals, which is then more liquid. It is also possible that diarrhea and constipation appear alternately. This also leads to a distinction between three forms of SII:
one with predominant diarrhea (IBS-D), one with predominant constipation (IBS-C), with alternation of the two which is called mixed form (IBS-M).
We can even find extra-digestive symptoms. Some patients will thus complain of headaches, extreme fatigue or even muscle pain, or even other apparently unrelated digestive disorders, such as dyspepsia or gastroesophageal reflux.
How to treat irritable bowel syndrome?
Since the causes of this syndrome are not well known, there is currently no treatment to get rid of it. The best we can do is to soothe the symptoms. This may first of all involve changing your dietary habits: it is therefore recommended to eat slowly and take your meals regularly. You must therefore take them at regular times, avoiding skipping them, and avoiding eating too little or not enough. It is obviously recommended to chew well to facilitate the digestion of food.
The type of food eaten could also have an effect. For example, we can eliminate or reduce fatty foods, as well as caffeine, carbonated drinks and alcohol, and foods that cause gas such as legumes. You must continue to consume fiber in normal proportions, which can help with constipation since they facilitate transit (taking care to increase the daily doses gradually at first to avoid bloating). A doctor will be able to provide dietary advice, especially as this varies depending on the individual and symptoms.
Drug treatments also help relieve symptoms. These are primarily antispasmodics, which prevent the contraction of the intestinal muscles and thus help relieve the pain they cause and reduce bloating. Intestinal absorbents help absorb excess water and gas, which relieves bloating and reduces diarrhea. Then, depending on the situation, intestinal motility slowers help relieve diarrhea, and laxatives relieve constipation.
Finally, others are prescribed low-dose antidepressants, and psychological approaches can be considered: this is the case of psychological help or discussion groups. This helps lighten the mental load, especially since stress and anxiety play an important role in the occurrence and severity of symptoms. Other therapeutic approaches, such as hypnosis, sophrology and others, can also be considered in order to provide relief, particularly during periods of crisis.
This syndrome does not require surgery. We can nevertheless hope that research advances, particularly with regard to the hypotheses mentioned above regarding proteases and the intestinal microbiota, and develops treatments in these directions. For example, probiotics could have an effect since they improve the health of the intestinal flora.
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