Stress, bad reactions to food and lack of exercise contribute to Irritable Colon Syndrome.

Many people suffering from this, also known as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, can experience only light symptoms and not recognize the illness. However, it is one of the disorders more frequently diagnosed by gastroenterologists.

In the United States, from 2.4 to 3.5 million annual doctor visits to specialists are ICS-related, according to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.

This disorder can compromise people’s quality of life; the symptoms can reach such a level of discomfort that they alter everyday activities. The cause of this illness remains a mystery; it is associated with a bad reaction to certain foods or with stress. Everything seems to indicate, however, that it is a benign dysfunction with no long-term complications.

“The patient’s discomfort is valid, however; the symptoms are real,” said Dr. Francisco J. Baigorri, who is part of the team of gastroenterologists in GastroHealth in Miami, which specializes in treating digestive disorders.

The syndrome is generally characterized by a combination of symptoms that could include changes in the intestinal rhythm, such as diarrhea or constipation, abdominal pain, change in the shape of feces and abdominal distension, among others.

“It is a chronic condition with a tendency to relapse, and the diagnosis is based on a thorough clinic history combined with a complete physical exploration and complementary tests to discard the existence of an organic pathology,” Baigorri says.

Among the tests he mentions are blood work, urine and feces tests, radiological studies of the abdomen, an abdominal echogram and a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy.

Statistics show that ICS affects women more frequently and it usually occurs before the age of 35. Its incidence diminishes beginning at the age of 60.

A recent study by the American Psychological Association shows that women in the United States tend to have higher levels of stress than men. Also, women are more likely to talk about the physical manifestations of their stress, one of which is stomach discomfort.

Depression, family ICS history or food intolerance can also influence the occurrence of the disorder.

A variety of treatments can be conducted, but basically it is recommended that patients change their diet, and reduce the situations causing stress and exercise.

“Foods and drinks that could prompt or worsen the symptoms must be temporarily avoided,” Baigorri said. “The most common are tobacco, caffeine, spices, alcohol, packet soups, cocoa, dairy products, pastry and ice cream.”

It is recommended to mix the food with fiber supplements and follow a diet of more frequent and less abundant meals.

Depending on the intensity of the symptoms, Baigorri said, it is possible to prescribe medication aimed at controlling the predominant symptom.

“They can be spasm inhibitors (spasmolytics), motility stimulators (prokinetics), antidiarrheal medication, laxatives, antidepressants or anxiolytics,” he says. But pharmaceuticals are recommended only during a limited period of time.

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