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Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Topic Overview
-
Health Tools
- Cause
- Symptoms
- What Happens
- What Increases Your Risk
- When To Call a Doctor
- Exams and Tests
- Treatment Overview
- Prevention
- Home Treatment
- Medications
- Surgery
- Other Treatment
- Other Places To Get Help
- Related Information
- References
- Credits
Between 7% and 10% of people in the world have irritable bowel syndrome.3 But most people with IBS don't see a doctor about their symptoms.
IBS tends to be more common in:
- People in their late 20s.
- Women.
- People who have panic disorder or other psychological conditions.
- People who have a family history of IBS.
- People who have a history of physical or sexual abuse or other psychological trauma. Several studies have found a link between a past history of abuse and gastrointestinal disorders.4
- People with other conditions such as depression, migraine headaches, and fibromyalgia (which causes widespread muscle and soft-tissue pain and tenderness).
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: May 17, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Jerome B. Simon, MD, FRCPC, FACP - Gastroenterology | |
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