IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome, is essentially a disruption in the way your gut and brain communicate. Unfortunately, there’s no blood test or imaging that can definitively confirm IBS, making it a tricky condition to diagnose. Instead, IBS is diagnosed based on specific symptoms and criteria, after ruling out other conditions like coeliac disease and inflammation. The thing is, IBS symptoms often look a lot like other conditions, leading to potential misdiagnosis, so it’s really important not to self-diagnose. Certain symptoms should make you pause and reconsider whether it’s really just IBS. These ‘red flags’ are key indicators that something else might be going on: Here’s what to watch for.
- Blood in your stool: Any sign of blood, whether fresh or dried, is a big red flag. This is something you need to tell your doctor about.
- Unexplained weight loss: Losing weight without trying? It could be a sign of something more serious, like malabsorption. Keep an eye out for other symptoms like hair loss, fatigue or skin changes.
- Recurrent fevers: If you’re getting fevers regularly without an obvious reason, it might be linked to inflammation or an immune response in your body.
- Difficulty swallowing or persistent throat pain: These symptoms could point to an issue in your upper GI tract and need to be checked out.
- Severe pain with fainting or vomiting: IBS can be painful, but if it’s so bad that you’re fainting or vomiting, it’s time to seek advise from your doctor.
If these symptoms come out of the blue and and don’t go away, don’t hesitate—get to the doctor without delay. These could be signs of another condition or give clues about what’s really going on in your body. Track all symtpoms as they happen and share that info with your doctor. Even if your doctor doesn’t ask about them, bring them up during your next visit. It’s important to know that these symptoms don’t always mean something serious, but they do need to be looked into. The more information your can offer, the better!
Another important point is that IBS treatments aren’t one-size-fits-all, so what works for one person may not work for another. If your symptoms persist or worsen despite trying various treatments, it might be worth considering if something else is going on. There are several conditions that share similar symptoms with IBS and are often misdiagnosed, including:
- Coeliac disease: An autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine.
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which cause chronic inflammation in the digestive tract.
- Endometriosis: A condition where tissue similar to the lining inside the uterus grows outside of it, causing pain and digestive symptoms.
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO): An abnormal increase in the number of bacteria in the small intestine, leading to bloating and change in bowel habit.
- Gallstones: ‘Stones’ in the gallbladder that can cause pain, nausea and digestive distress.
- Lactose intolerance: The inability to digest lactose, leading to bloating, gas and diarrhoea after consuming dairy products.
- Pancreatic insufficiency: When the pancreas doesn’t produce enough digestive enzymes, leading to malabsorption, weight loss and diarrhoea or greasy, yellowish stools.
- Thyroid disorders: Hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism can affect metabolism and digestive function, mimicking IBS symptoms.
- Colon cancer: Particularly important to rule out in older adults or those with alarming symptoms like blood in the stool or unexplained weight loss.
Remember, while IBS is manageable (for example, you can check out my very effective Diet-Hypno Programme here), it’s important to be in tune with what’s happening in YOUR body. If you notice any of these signs, or you think your symtpoms are not normal for you, have a conversation with your doctor. Your comfort and health matters!
