One of the most common causes of abdominal pain is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a functional disorder of the small and large intestine.
The cause of the disease is unknown. It can occur at any age and in both sexes, but it most often affects young women. Typically, mild or very severe abdominal pain is accompanied by bowel habit disturbances (diarrhoea, constipation, or alternating between the two) and a feeling of bloating. The abdominal pain associated with IBS is cramping in nature and occurs intermittently during waking hours, most often in the morning. After a bowel movement, the abdominal pain or discomfort eases or disappears.
Besides the abdominal pain in IBS, problems with bowel movements are common. Periods of normal bowel habits may alternate with temporary periods of diarrhoea or constipation. The diarrhoea is characterised by frequent passing of small to medium amounts of stool, mainly in the morning or after meals. Increased bowel movements can cause cramping pain in the lower abdomen. An urgent need to open the bowels is common, which can even lead to faecal incontinence. Although the abdominal pain usually eases or stops after a bowel movement, the patient still feels that they have not emptied their bowels properly. The stool may also contain mucus.
Abdominal pain and the accompanying symptoms are made worse by psychological or social stress. A common symptom is that, in important life situations, the patient becomes anxious hours before the significant event (e.g. an exam, a presentation, a meeting), and at the same time goes to the toilet several times, where they may have small amounts of diarrhoea as many as 6-8 times. It is very important, however, that the abdominal pain or discomfort associated with IBS is not accompanied by so-called alarm symptoms: bloody stools, weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, difficulty swallowing, etc. In IBS, abdominal pain does not occur during sleep. Abdominal pain that occurs during sleep or prevents you from falling asleep should also be treated as an alarm symptom, and an organic disease of the digestive tract must be looked for as the cause.
Abdominal pain associated with IBS is often accompanied by non-digestive symptoms, such as muscle and joint pain or a frequent and urgent need to urinate, and there may also be pain during intercourse, reduced sex drive or menstrual problems.
