Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

In younger patients, who are less likely to have other bowel diseases, the doctor may not carry out many investigations after the initial history and examination. If the patient is older there is a greater need to rule out serious bowel conditions and so the doctor will probably arrange more tests. These may include:

• Blood tests to check general health and to exclude certain other medical conditions
• X-ray examinations of the bowel, such as a barium enema, which shows up the shape of the large bowel by passing a special dye through the back passage
• Endoscopy of the large bowel – a ‘sigmoidoscopy’ or, for older patients, a ‘colonoscopy’; these procedures involve viewing the colon through a flexible tube inserted through the anus
• A pelvic examination to rule out ovarian tumours and cysts or endometriosis, which may display symptoms similar to IBS
• Testing a stool sample for evidence of bleeding; your doctor may take a sample during a rectal examination, or you may be asked to take a sample yourself

Treatment of IBS
There is no single effective treatment for IBS. For some people all that is needed is reassurance from their doctor that their symptoms, though unpleasant, will not have serious effects upon their health.

Your doctor can also help you to determine if there are ‘trigger factors’ which bring on your symptoms, perhaps a particular food or a stressful situation. Avoiding these triggers may enable you to control your symptoms without the need for medication. If you do have treatment the form it takes will depend upon your symptoms.