Overview
IBS is a long-term disorder of how the gut and brain communicate, causing recurring abdominal pain along with changes in how often you go to the toilet and the look of your stools. It does not damage the bowel or raise cancer risk, but symptoms can be uncomfortable and disruptive. It is often grouped into subtypes based on whether constipation, diarrhoea, or both predominate. Symptoms tend to flare and settle over time and are commonly linked to stress, certain foods, and the menstrual cycle.
Symptoms
- Cramping or abdominal pain often relieved by a bowel movement
- Bloating and excess wind
- Diarrhoea, constipation, or alternating between the two
- Change in stool form or frequency
- Mucus in the stool
- A feeling of incomplete emptying
- Symptoms worsening after eating or during stress
Causes & risk factors
- Altered gut-brain signalling and gut sensitivity
- Changes in gut motility
- Disturbed gut bacteria
- Previous gut infection (post-infectious IBS)
- Stress, anxiety, or low mood
- Certain trigger foods such as fatty or highly fermentable foods
- Family history
Treatment & self-care
Care focuses on identifying and managing triggers, often starting with dietary changes (such as a structured, dietitian-guided low-FODMAP approach), regular meals, adequate fibre adjustment, physical activity, and stress management. A clinician may suggest symptom-targeted support and, where helpful, psychological therapies such as gut-directed approaches. A doctor should confirm the diagnosis and rule out other conditions before starting management; treatment is individualised and should be guided by a licensed clinician.
See a doctor urgently if
- You have unexplained weight loss
- You see blood in your stool or have bleeding from the back passage
- You have persistent symptoms that start after age 50
- You have a fever, night sweats, or anaemia
- You have a family history of bowel or ovarian cancer
- You have severe or worsening pain, or symptoms that wake you at night