Abeer Athar
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Written By: Abeer Athar | Published : August 4, 2025 9:03 AM IST
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms: Is It Gas Or Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Know The Difference
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is one of the most common disorders that affects a large chunk of the population. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is known to cause damage to or affect the large intestine. It's characterised by a range of symptoms or indicators that can vary; the symptoms notably include other parallel conditions like abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, gas, and even some notable changes in bowel habits like diarrhoea, constipation, or at times, both. While it is one of the conditions that can make you uncomfortable, IBS is noted to be a not-so-dangerous condition and doesn't cause any serious damage or increase the risk of serious diseases like cancer.
But what has been alarming the people despite the less serious symptoms and effects of the disease is the fact that Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder that is now affecting a large population that is somewhere between 5% and 10% of the general population. At the Global level, it has been estimated that it ranges from 10% to 20%, with some studies also indicating or suggesting some higher rates in certain regions or among specific demographics. For example, as per one of the studies, it was noted that in India, it found the prevalence of 4.2%.
Many times, the people who are suffering from IBS may end up confusing the condition with gastrointestinal issues, and that may cause a problem. The lack of knowledge in identifying the symptoms may lead to a delay, so this calls for some light on the possible symptoms. Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a group of symptoms that occur together, including repeated pain in your abdomen and changes in your bowel movements, which may be diarrhoea, constipation, or both. With IBS, you have these symptoms without any visible signs of damage or disease in your digestive tract, and gastrointestinal issues are just one of them. Let's know the symptoms better to understand the condition.
Many of the patients who deal with Irritable bowel syndrome are known to be affected by pain or cramping. This is a hallmark symptom of the condition called IBS, and it is often relieved by bowel movements, and there's nothing concerning about it.
Many of the people who suffer from Irritable bowel syndrome are known to have symptoms that can include Irritable bowel syndrome - IBS-D, Irritable bowel syndrome constipation, IBS-C or alternating between the two, IBS-M.
Out of the many symptoms of Irritable bowel syndrome, bloating and gas can be two of them, and they can create a sense of discomfort and contribute to a feeling of fullness.
Many of the patients with Irritable bowel syndrome have complained that this can leave individuals feeling like they haven't fully passed stool, even after a bowel movement.
Some of the people with Irritable bowel syndrome may notice mucus, often white, in their stool; however, this is not an alarming sign.
People with Irritable bowel syndrome feel the urgent need to defecate can be disruptive and unpredictable.
Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the conditions that require the right treatment and response this can happen because of various reasons like gut motility issues as the muscles in the digestive tract may contract too forcefully or too weakly, leading to abnormal bowel movements or individuals with IBS may have a heightened sensitivity to pain in the digestive tract other psychological factors like Stress and anxiety can worsen symptoms. Medications and treatment can help reduce the condition.
