What is irritable bowel syndrome? Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a problem with the intestines colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease In people with IBS, the intestines squeeze too hard or not hard enough and cause food to move too quickly or too slowly through the intestines colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease (The large intestine is also called the colon.) colon.) IBS is also called functional bowel syndrome, irritable colon, spastic bowel and spastic colon colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease It's not the same as inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease What are the symptoms of IBS? The box to the right lists common symptoms of IBS colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease Irritable Bowel Syndrome Also indexed as: as: Colitis (Irritable Bowel) , IBS, Mucous Colitis, Spastic Colon Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common gastrointestinal disorder that sometimes causes significant discomfort even though it is not a serious health threat colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease Typical symptoms include abdominal bloating and soreness, wind, and alternating diarrhoea and constipation colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease IBS patients patients are more likely than others to have backaches, fatigue, and several other seemingly unrelated problems colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease The cause of IBS remains unknown colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease Conventional treatment options: The conventional treatment for IBS includes limiting problem foods in the diet, such as dairy products, fruits, vegetables, beans (legumes) , and caffeine colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease Fibre supplements or laxatives may be prescribed for constipation colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease When diarrhoea or abdominal soreness are present, drugs that control colon muscle spasms and slow the movement of food through the digestive system may be used colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease Antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs may also be used for people with depression or or chronic pain, or for people whose symptoms worsen during periods of stress colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease Dietary changes that may be helpful: Several studies report that food sensitivities occur in only a small percentage of people with IBS colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease Research outcomes are much less clear regarding what percentage of IBS sufferers are truly truly sensitive to foods colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease However, some studies find that most IBS sufferers have food sensitivities and that wind production and IBS symptoms diminish when these foods are discovered and avoided colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease According to a leading researcher in the field, at least 3 colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease offending food are frequently needed to provoke provoke symptoms of IBS colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease Others have reported that the offending foods need to be eaten at each meal for at least two days to evaluate the potential of food sensitivity colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease The amount of test food used in studies reporting food sensitivity in only a small proportion of IBS sufferers sufferers was less than 3 colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease The inadequate quantities of food may have affected the outcome of these studies colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease Preliminary evidence suggests that some people with IBS malabsorb the sugars lactose (as found in milk) , fructose (as found in high concentration in fruit juice and dried fruit) , and | 