What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome and What Causes It?

Is IBS a Disease like Crohn's or Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. It is not a disease like Crohn's or inflammatory bowel disease.

Symptoms vary widely from person to person, but they may include some of the following:

• Abdominal pain, sometimes localized to lower left quadrant
• Bloating
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Alternating diarrhea/constipation
• Change in stool consistency or appearance
• Mucous in stool
• Feeling of incomplete evacuation after bowel movements
• Sunset onset of uncontrollable urges to have bowel movements
• Excess gas
• Pain when sitting down
• Excess gurgling/rumbling/growling in stomach and abdomen
• Nausea and vomiting
• Burping
• Loss of appetite
• Unpleasant taste in mouth
• Heartburn
• Backache
• Lethargy
• Anxiety and/or depression
• Insomnia
• Heart palpitations
• Irritable bladder or incontinence
• Gynecological problems

As you can see, it is a long list. Many of the symptoms can be caused by other illnesses or conditions. Please do not self-diagnose. See your doctor - or several, if necessary - until you have a specific diagnosis.

If you experience any of the following, get to the hospital or see a doctor immediately. They are NOT symptoms of IBS:

• High temperature
• Blood in stool or fresh bleeding with bowel movements
• Constant, unrelenting pain

Most experts agree that IBS does not cause permanent damage or lead to more serious conditions such as cancer or inflammatory bowel disease.

What Causes IBS?

After talking to several doctors, nurses, and a dietician, I received no answer to this question. There is nothing definitive on the Internet, either. However, criteria have been established that help physicians diagnose irritable bowel syndrome. Called the Rome III Criteria, you can get more information at RomeCriteria.org.

The average patient sees three doctors over three years before finally receiving a proper diagnosis.

The criteria for irritable bowel syndrome are outlined below.

• Recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort at least three days per month in the last six months, associated with two or more of the following:

- Improvement with defecation

- Onset associated with a change in frequency of stool

- Onset associated with a change in form (appearance) of stool

It is important to obtain a specific diagnosis before you assume that you have IBS. Other diseases may cause similar symptoms, and they must be ruled out before making any assumptions. There is no diagnostic test available (yet) that can prove you have irritable bowel syndrome. However, extensive examinations can rule out other, more serious conditions such as celiac disease, bowel cancer, and Crohn's.

Other Conditions that May Affect People with IBS

According to recent research, those with IBS may also suffer from one or more of the conditions on the following list:

• Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS)
• Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
• Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS)
• Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
• Restless leg syndrome (RLS)
• Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD)
• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
• Periodic limb movement (PLMS)
• Multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome (MCSS)
• Tension headaches
• Irritable bladder
• Primary dysmenorrhea
• Migraine headaches
• Vulvodynia

There may also be an overlap of conditions such as:

• Globus
• Functional chest pain
• Functional heartburn
• Functional dysphagia
• Functional dyspepsia
• Aerophagia
• Functional vomiting
• Rumination syndrome
• Functional abdominal bloating
• Functional constipation
• Functional diarrhea
• Functional abdominal pain
• Gall bladder dysfunction
• Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction
• Functional fecal incontinence
• Functional anorectal pain
• Functional defecation disorders

Functional disorders do not produce abnormal test results and nothing unusual is seen on endoscopy or x-ray. These disorders are generally diagnosed by deciding what they are NOT, and then categorizing them by symptoms.

Disclaimer

The material provided in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to replace proper medical diagnosis, treatment, or advice. Always consult your physician and other appropriate health-care providers before taking any medications, natural remedies, or supplements; or before changing your diet. Discuss all plans, symptoms, and medical conditions with your doctor.

Any use of the ideas contained herein is at your own discretion, risk, and responsibility. The author assumes no liability for any of the information presented. There are no representations or warranties, either express or implied.

You should not begin or discontinue medical treatment based on information contained in this, or any other, article.

Be sure to check out Kathy's latest eBooks:

The IBS Compass: Irritable Bowel Syndrome Tips, Information, Fiber Charts, and Recipes. This book will help you set a course to better health.

IBS-IBD Fiber Charts: Soluble & Insoluble Fibre Data for over 250 Items, Including Links to Internet Resources - helping you to monitor fiber intake, no matter where you are.

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Sezary Syndrome

Sezary disease is an uncommon malignancy, and is a rare type of a lymphoma. This disease affects the T-cells, which are an essential part of the immune system, which are responsible for immunity from bacteria and other microorganisms. The disease derived its name from Albert Sezary, who first described the disease. It is known to be the late stage of mycosis fungoides, not a fungal infection, but also a type of malignancy.

Occurrence
Mycosis fungoides is the one of the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, cutaneous, and means "involving the skin". Most of the patients diagnosed with the disease are between 55 and 60 years of age. In the western areas, this disease occurs on 0.3 patients per 100,000 populations. This syndrome is more common in males than in females, with a ratio of 2:1.

Causes
The causes of having this type of carcinoma are unknown. Several have theorized that this is the late stage of mycosis fungoides, with lymphadenopathy (lymph node enlargement).

Signs and Symptoms
The disease is commonly manifested in the skin. The following can be observed in a patient with this disease:

1. Generalized erythroderma, which is characterized by skin redness, which is accompanied by warmth on the surrounding area. This is caused by dilation of the capillaries under the lesion;

2. Indolent cutaneous eruptions with erythematous scaly patches or plaques, typically bathing trunk distribution (erythroderma), and;

3. Plaques/patches are with heterogeneity in presentation (the plaques/patches are different from each other.)

Although the disease can present itself on the skin, it can also manifest with some symptoms in different systems of the body, which may present as:

Lymphadenopathy (lymph node enlargement);
Atypical T-cells ("Sezary cells") in the peripheral blood (which is verified through pathology);
Hepatosplenomegaly (enlargement of the liver and the spleen).

Diagnosis
Diagnosis of Sezary disease will be done according to the doctor's approach. These methods vary from:

1. Symptom analysis: the patient will be examined, and will present lesions that do not heal, even though medications are already prescribed;

2. Laboratory tests: an ordinary Complete Blood Count (CBC) can be ordered, and an increase in white blood cells (lymphocytes) can be noted. This increase is generally associated with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma;

3. Pathology: a smear from the patient's skin lesions can show Sezary cells, which is a characteristic of the disease.

Treatment
A drug called vorinostat (brand name, Zolinza) is one of the drugs used for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Treatment and management of the disease include a combination with phototherapy (treatment using light) and chemotherapy (using chemical agents/drugs). No single treatment type has been proven very effective in comparison to others, for the treatment for all cases remains difficult.

Sezary Syndrome is a rare type of cancer, and is commonly diagnosed using symptom analysis and pathology. You can always look for Sezary Syndrome pictures on reliable sources, for early detection of the disease.

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