When should I not ignore IBS and seek medical help?

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thank you for asking this important question. The most important thing you need to know about irritable bowel syndrome or IBS, is that it is a diagnosis of exclusion, which means that more serious things need to be ruled out. IBS refers to a chronic bowel disorder often triggering symptoms such as intermittent constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, and abdominal discomfort or pain. These are obvious symptoms that could happen in most ailments, which is why people do not pay much attention to them. An ideal time to seek medical care is when the symptoms are recurring and appear to be associated with certain foods, drinks, or stressful situations. Your doctor will want to rule out the more serious or life-threatening causes of similar symptoms by running multiple tests. At the end of this panel of tests, when the other conditions have been excluded, a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome will be given.

The differential diagnosis is chronic gastroenteritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's, enzyme deficiencies, food intolerances - gluten, milk, food allergies.

Attend a general practitioner for blood tests, abdominal and chest X-ray, ultrasound, colonoscopy, and sigmoidoscopy.

Once the condition has been diagnosed by a health professional, start to identify your triggers and attempt to avoid them.

I hope you find it helpful.

Kind regards.