Research shows that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic condition that affects over 10% of people. Common signs and symptoms include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea or constipation. According to Dr. Andy Fine, any changes in your stools including frequency of stools, or stools along with mucus or pain could be symptoms of IBS.
Dr. Andy Fine advises against ignoring these symptoms and talking to your primary care physician to diagnose any underlying causes. Diagnostic tools ensure that you have an accurate diagnosis if the cause is something chronic but not life threatening like Crohn’s disease or if it is the more common colitis.
There are many things that can cause gastrointestinal upset that are not obvious. Your physician can work out a treatment plan for you that could include eliminating certain foods from your diet and tracking any change in symptoms. Your primary care physician can provide treatments to alleviate symptoms like cramping, bloating, and reflux or being uncomfortable with a decrease or increase in frequency of stools.
Call us at 303-703-8583 to discuss any concerns you may have and schedule an appointment with Dr. Andy Fine.