If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you probably live with abdominal pain, gas and bloating, chronic or recurrent diarrhea, constipation, or an uncomfortable mixture of these. IBS can affect anyone, even children, but is more common in women.
IBS can impact your life quite severely, interfering with your social and work life. Your mental health can also suffer due to the frustration, embarrassment, and unpredictability of the condition.
If you’ve suffered from IBS for a while, know someone with IBS, or have just been diagnosed, you probably know this condition is shrouded in misconceptions and misunderstandings.
At GastroDoxs, Dr. Pothuri helps people in the greater Houston area suffering from the condition understand their particular case and manage their symptoms. We also want you to understand some very basic myths about IBS and get the right facts about your condition.
Some people believe that IBS is almost textbook in how it presents. IBS is often associated with the symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, and chronic diarrhea.
While a person with IBS may have a collection of symptoms, they may also have just chronic gas and bloating, abdominal pain, or abnormal bowel habits. The severity of these symptoms varies widely from patient to patient. Symptoms can occur daily or may come and go -- even for chronic IBS sufferers.
Stress commonly triggers symptoms of IBS, so it’s common for people to believe there’s a causal relationship.
Stress can, however, trigger or worsen symptoms of IBS. If you find your IBS flares when you face undue stress, we can help you explore relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, cognitive behavior therapy, and hypnosis.
IBS is chronic and does have symptoms that are disturbing and life-altering, so much so that some people believe it is related to or can become more serious conditions.
IBS is not an autoimmune condition like IBD is, and it’s not a precursor to colon cancer either. While it should be diagnosed by a medical professional such as Dr. Pothuri and can benefit from his management, it doesn’t predispose you to other digestive disorders.
Dr. Bharat Pothuri is a Board-Certified Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist. With extensive experience in digestive health, he specializes in advanced endoscopic procedures, chronic GI disorder management, and preventive care. Dr. Pothuri is dedicated to providing expert, patient-focused insights to help improve gut health and overall well-being.
IBS affects about 10-15% of the global population, but many people remain undiagnosed because symptoms vary widely.
IBS is a functional disorder with no visible structural damage, making it harder to diagnose and often leading to misconceptions about its severity.
Stress and certain foods, such as dairy, caffeine, and high-fat meals, are the most common triggers for IBS flare-ups.
The exact cause of IBS is unknown, and it involves multiple factors like gut-brain interactions, diet, stress, and microbiome imbalances.
IBS can develop at any age but is most commonly diagnosed in people between their late teens and early 40s.
