IBS is a common problem affecting most people at some time in their life. Some people are disturbed by it throughout most of their life. What are the symptoms ? Diarrhoea, constipation, stomach pain, wind, bloating. These symptoms may alternate or there may just be one. They tend to start in young people in their teens, twenties or thirties. Symptoms starting after the age of 40 or associated with weight loss or blood in the stool are not likely to be due to IBS and need to be investigated by the doctor. What causes IBS ? IBS is caused by the bowel working inefficiently. Often we don't discover a reason but it can be due to a poor diet or emotional problems. Scientists think some IBS sufferers feel pain because the nerves telling them what is going on in the stomach are more sensitive than usual. What causes the symptoms ? Pain and bloating; The gut is a tube leading from the mouth to the anus.It contains muscle in it's lining to propel food from one end to the other. Usually the muscle works in a coordinated fashion sending waves of contractions down the gut. These force food along in the same way as you would squeeze the last drops out of a toothpaste tube. In IBS the muscles contract out of 'synch' . Imagine squeezing a sausage shaped balloon at each end. The bit in the middle becomes distended. This can happen in the bowel. The bit that gets distended hurts and makes you feel bloated. Constipation; The bowel needs fibre to allow these waves of contraction to get a grip on the food. If your diet is low in fibre you may find yourself passing faeces resembling rabbit pellets. Diarrhoea; If the muscles of the bowel start working overtime this can cause loose bowel motions. This can often be made worse by feelings of anxiety eg before exams or a driving test. How can it be treated ? The treatment depends on which symptoms are most troublesome. The first part of the treatment is getting used to the idea that, although uncomfortable, IBS is an extension of the tummy aches and pains we all experience. It will not harm your health in the long run. Pain and bloating ; These symptoms can be relieved by increasing the fibre in the diet. Sometimes fibre makes them worse. Mebeverine ( Colofac ) is a tablet which helps to relieve the muscle spasm and helps pain and bloating. Buscopan, Spasmonal and Merbentyl are similar drugs. Peppermint extracts can be helpful ( Colpermin capsules ) Constipation Fibre is found in fresh fruit and vegetables, bran and laxatives such as Fybogel and Regulan.It is not absorbed by your body. It is got rid of when you open your bowels. Increasing the fibre in your diet helps to retrain the muscles of the bowel. It is the best treatment for constipation. Training any muscle causes pain. The bowel is no exception. Taking large amounts of fibre immediately can cause pain, bloating and wind. You need to start with small amounts and increase it gradually over several weeks. You are taking enough when it allows you to pass a bulky well formed stool each day. Diarrhoea Antispasmodic drugs like Merbentyl may help. If this does not help antidiarrhoeal drugs like Imodium may be the answer.