How Do You Diagnose Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is based on symptoms – the bowel of a person suffering from IBS won’t show signs of active disease when examined. Your doctor will perform tests to rule out other common bowel illnesses. Diagnosis is mainly determined by eliminating other possible causes. Consider seeing a gastroenterologist if you’re having chronic diarrhea, constipation and/or frequent gastrointestinal pain. Describe your GI symptoms in great detail to your doctor: frequency of bowel movements, color and consistency of stool, if your abdominal pain is relieved by defecation and/or passing gas, any mucus in your stool, the sensation of incomplete evacuation after you’ve defecated. Agree to have a routine digital rectal examination. This allows the doctor to feel for rectal tenderness, a fully emptied rectum and/or hard, firm stool. Save a stool specimen for your doctor to examine for hidden blood, parasites, bacteria and white blood cells. Have a proctosigmoidoscopy. This al
