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What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Home » Diseases » Irritable Bowel Syndrome » What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a functional disorder, which means that rather than a disorder that can be diagnosed traditionally, the primary abnormality is an altered function of the body. With IBS, people experience symptoms as a result of the bowel working incorrectly. Somewhere between the intestines, the brain, and the autonomic nervous system, the regulation of the bowel (or large intestine) is affected.
In a patient with IBS, the nerves and muscles in the bowel are much more sensitive than normal. For example, if you eat too much or have an extreme change in emotions, the muscles in the large intestine may contract too much and cause cramping and diarrhea immediately or shortly thereafter.
IBS is often also called by other names, such as spastic colon, spastic colitis, irritable colon, mucous colitis, and nervous stomach. Although it can be very painful, it does not cause any other diseases or damage the bowel in any way.
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