About one in five Americans has symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, but few seek medical help. Because the disease can flare up and then go away for long periods, most dismiss it as a momentary aberration related to something they ate. But it is important to have it diagnosed, particularly if the symptoms worsen to include rectal bleeding, severe abdominal pain and weight loss. IBS is closely related to colitis and Crohn’s disease, which can cause changes in the bowel tissue, and all of them have the potential to develop into cancer.

Causes of IBS

The cause of irritable bowel syndrome is not known. Researchers suspect that signals between the brain and intestines are somehow affected, causing the complicated rhythms of the body to become altered and the intestinal contractions that speed food through the tract to become stronger than normal.

People who fall into one of the following categories are more likely to have irritable bowel syndrome:

1)    Young people – Those under age 45 are more susceptible to the onset

2)    Female – Women have it at twice the rate of men

3)    Relatives with the disease – As with any recurring condition, family history plays a large role in determining who may have it

4)    Are in a stressful situation – Whether under pressure at work or undergoing recent trauma, mental health can play a large role