Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms Identified

Find out which symptoms support the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is a complex problem with a wide variety of changing symptoms. For instance, roughly a third of those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome experience diarrhea, another third have constipation problems, and the remaining third alternate between the two. Common irritable bowel syndrome symptoms that support a diagnosis of the condition include:

• Abnormal stool formation—either hard and lumpy or loose and watery
• Abnormal stool frequency—either more than three bowel movements a day or fewer than three a week
• Abnormal stool passage—straining, extreme urgency (in the case of diarrhea), or the feeling of not being able to completely evacuate
• Pain and distention/bloating of the abdomen
• Frequent bowel movements associated with pain
• Colicky pain often relieved by a bowel movement
• Indigestion
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Intestinal gas or flatulence
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Bowel incontinence
• Excess mucus production in the colon

More Dr. Williams Advice on Irritable Bowel Syndrome

• What causes irritable bowel syndrome?
• Other conditions that should be ruled out before beginning an irritable bowel syndrome treatment plan
• Common conventional medical treatments for irritable bowel syndrome
• My all-natural irritable bowel syndrome treatment plan