His girlfriend, Joan, pointed out that he had the same complaint last week when they went to the salad bar. In fact, James remembered that visit. He later suffered from diarrhea, but he thought it was related to getting an overdose of vegetables instead of his usual burgers and fries.
Maybe this is just gas, James thought. But then he remembered that the cramping, bloating and general bowel problems seemed to occur more frequently. Perhaps it was time to see the doctor, he decided.
James went to his physician that week. He told him of the abdominal pain, general gas problems, alternating diarrhea and constipation. And he noticed that there was some mucus in his stool last time.
After some tests, the doctor gave James the verdict: He likely had irritable bowel syndrome, sometimes referred to just by its initials, IBS.
What is IBS?
For most, IBS is a symptom that comes and goes. At times, it will be terrible but then will disappear for long stretches of time. It’s a disorder of the large intestine (the colon) that can cause cramping, bloating, gas and general discomfort. Unlike its other intestinal cousins, Crohn’s disease and colitis, it is not something that will damage bowel tissue, which can lead to colorectal cancer. But it is a condition that will need to be managed over a lifetime.