Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder which causes cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. It is a syndrome that may be difficult to diagnose, and many times will be diagnose by a process of elimination.  However there are several symptoms that are recognized to be IBS sufferers symptoms.

These symptoms include:

• Frequent abdominal pain or discomfort such as once or more per month.
• Abdominal pain relieved by bowel movement.
• Stool that may look different in appearance then usual
• Frequent need to have a bowl movement
• Difficulty or inability to pass stool
• Bloating

A system of nerves runs the  entire length of the gastrointestinal tract from the esophagus to the anus in  the muscular walls of the organs. These nerves communicate with other nerves  that travel to and from the spinal cord. Nerves within the spinal cord, in turn,  travel to and from the brain. (The gastrointestinal tract is exceeded in the  numbers of nerves it contains only by the spinal cord and brain.) Thus, the  abnormal function of the nervous system in IBS may occur in a gastrointestinal  muscular organ, the spinal cord, or the brain.

The nervous system that  controls the gastrointestinal organs, as with most other organs, contains both  sensory and motor nerves. The sensory nerves continuously sense what is  happening within the organ and relay this information to nerves in the organ’s  wall. From there, information can be relayed to the spinal cord and brain. The  information is received and processed in the organ’s wall, the spinal cord, or  the brain. Then, based on this sensory input and the way the input is processed,  commands (responses) are sent to the organ over the motor nerves. Two of the  most common motor responses in the intestine are contraction or relaxation of  the muscle of the organ and secretion of fluid and/or mucus into the organ.

How is the colon affect by Irritable  bowel syndrome?

The colon is the connection between the the small intestine to the rectum. The colon absorb water and nutrients from partially digested food that enters from the small intestine.

the colon muscles are controled by nerves.  These contractions move the contents inside the colon toward the rectum. after the colon has absorbed the nutrients the stool is directed to the rectum.   If the muscles of the colon do  not move properly to get rid of the stool, this may result in abdominal pain, cramps, constipation, or even diarrhea.

Irritable  bowel syndrom (EBS) is a common disorder which affects more women than men.   There are ways to get relieve from this very incomfortable disorder which you can find HERE.