Irritable Bowel Syndrome

IT'S 2005, AND WE'LL TALK about anything. From fetishes to toenail fungus, maximum frankness pervades chat shows and chat rooms. Yet only about half of Americans with irritable bowel syndrome discuss their symptoms with their doctors, says gastroenterologist G. Richard Locke, M.D., professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minn. When they do, it's because the constipation, diarrhea, or pain has gotten so disruptive that it's affecting their ability to function on the job, dine out, or exercise.

"Some people don't find their IBS symptoms bothersome or unusual, and some may be a little shy about talking to a doctor about bowel problems," Locke says. These silent sufferers remain unaware there's a growing array of strategies to help them achieve inner peace.

do you have IBS?

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME is a combination of symptoms that may consist of abdominal pain, cramps, bloating, flatulence, mucus in the stools, food intolerances, and constipation or diarrhea (often alternating between the two). The diagnostic criteria include having abdominal pain or discomfort for at least 12 weeks out of the previous 12 months, not necessarily consecutively. Generally, pain is relieved after a bowel movement; the frequency of bowel movements alters when pain or discomfort begins; and/or there are changes in the form or appearance of the stool.

"For most people, symptoms occur now and then, a couple of days a week or so," says Locke. "To meet the definition of IBS, you have to have the symptoms 25 percent [or more] of the time."