Are you suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?
Self-test of Irritable Bowel Syndrome：

If 4 or more signs are observed, you are affected by IBS.

• Mucus in feces.
• Loss of appetite, nausea.
• Heavy stress, neglect normal stimuli to defecate.
• Push hard during defecation.
• Chest pain (non-cardiac).
• Defecate immediately after meals.
• Soft and watery stool.
• Defecate when feel nervous.
• Hyper- or hypothyroidism.
• Incomplete evacuation.
• Defecate more than three times a day.
• Difficult in swallowing, chest burn.
• Abdominal pain and bloating
• Symptom changes with alternating stool pattern.
• Alternating stool pattern.
• Hard and large stools.
• Hypersensitive to food, consistently.
• Defecate less than three times a week (constipation).
• Abdominal pain relieved after defecation
• Problem with defecation in response to the normal stimuli.
• Accidentally abdominal pain, relieved after fart or defecation.

What is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

IBS is a group of symptoms, and a common disease that reflects your bowel conditions. In Taiwan, 30% people are affected by IBS. Women are around two times more likely to be diagnosed with IBS than men. Women aged 15-45 years are predominantly to be affected by IBS. Male patients with IBS are more likely to be diarrhea-predominant, while females are more likely to be constipation-predominant.

Symptoms of IBS

Frequent diarrhea or constipation and a change in bowel habits. Urgency for bowel movements, a feeling of incomplete evacuation, bloating. Symptoms may last for weeks even years. Symptoms such as diarrhea usually are experienced as acute attacks that subside within one day, but recurrent attacks are likely.

Changes in frequency of stool and stool form are often observed in patients with IBS. Patients with IBS often experience abdominal pain or discomfort which may last minutes even hours, symptoms are relieved after fart or defecation.

Chronic IBS damages your gut

High levels of anxiety are often associated with the development of IBS. However, symptoms may not occur simultaneously in response to the stress. The nervous system operates abnormally in IBS patients. Stress relief does not necessarily lead to symptom relief, recurrent attacks are likely, resulting in damage to gut.