Publications
Partners
There are unfortunately no specific tests for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and diagnosis is often made by excluding other conditions, such as coeliac disease (gluten allergy), lactose intolerance or infections. This may involve a range of tests.
Experienced doctors may rely on certain reliable symptoms, and use the following criteria for diagnosing IBS:
• Recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort at least three days per month for the last three months. This improves with defecation and/or is associated with a change in the frequency and the form (appearance) of the stool.
• There are no other symptoms, such as abnormal physical findings, abnormal blood test results, anaemia, blood in the stool, weight loss, fever, a family history of colon cancer or inflammatory bowel disease, nocturnal discomfort, or faecal soiling. These symptoms would indicate another disorder, not IBS.
The appearance of symptoms above the age of 35 is very unusual, and may be associated with the use of antibiotics for gastroenteritis. With older patients, doctors would need to do a full battery of tests to exclude other causes, such as cancer, before they make the diagnosis of IBS.
Experienced doctors may rely on certain reliable symptoms, and use the following criteria for diagnosing IBS:
• Recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort at least three days per month for the last three months. This improves with defecation and/or is associated with a change in the frequency and the form (appearance) of the stool.
• There are no other symptoms, such as abnormal physical findings, abnormal blood test results, anaemia, blood in the stool, weight loss, fever, a family history of colon cancer or inflammatory bowel disease, nocturnal discomfort, or faecal soiling. These symptoms would indicate another disorder, not IBS.
The appearance of symptoms above the age of 35 is very unusual, and may be associated with the use of antibiotics for gastroenteritis. With older patients, doctors would need to do a full battery of tests to exclude other causes, such as cancer, before they make the diagnosis of IBS.
