Symptoms of Irritable bowel syndrome

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The condition features repeated abdominal pain and occasional diarrhoea, often alternating with constipation, rapid transit of food with frequent bowel motions, a sense of fullness (bloating), abdominal tenderness and swelling, an awareness of the bowel action and often headache and anxiety.

Bowel contents are moved along by a succession of rhythmical tightening and relaxation of segments of the intestine. This is called peristalsis. In the irritable bowel syndrome peristalsis is stronger and more frequent than normal.

The effect of this may be to make bowel activity much more noisy than normal. Bowel noises - loud abdominal rumblings and squeaking - caused by gases being propelled through the intestines by peristalsis are called borborygmi. This may be embarrassing to people with the syndrome.

The pain is usually felt in one of the four corners of the abdomen, especially the lower left corner. It is sometimes brought on by eating, and is often relieved by going to the toilet. The stools are often ribbon-like or pellet-like and may contain mucus. Often, soon after a meal, there is extreme and embarrassing urgency to empty the bowels

Other symptoms include:

Burping
Bad breath
Excessive gas production
Headache
Tiredness
Nausea
A sense of incomplete emptying after going to the toilet