We've had a few enquiries recently from people who experience Irritable Bowel Syndrome rather than incontinence, and therefore we thought it was worth covering this over a couple of our regular updates as it may be relevant to many others.

Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS as it is often referred to is one of the most common disorders of the digestive tract, with about a fifth of people in the UK experiencing occasional symptoms. IBS can develop at any age, but most people experience their first symptoms between the ages of 15 and 40. The main symptoms of IBS are pain in the abdomen and an upset of normal bowel habit.

Many people's symptoms are very mild so they don’t feel it is necessary to see a doctor about them. However, other people can have symptoms that are more extreme, especially abdominal cramps, bloating and diarrhoea. People with more severe IBS are usually affected by one symptom more than the others - either pain, constipation or chronic diarrhoea.

The most common symptom is abdominal pain which may be mild or severe, and may be made either better or worse by opening the bowels, passing wind or eating. Pain may recur at a particular time of day, often in the evening.

People with IBS often feel an urgent need to open their bowels, especially after eating first thing in the morning. Their stools may vary in consistency from hard and pellet-like to loose and watery and afterwards, there may be a sense that the bowels have not been completely emptied. Other symptoms include a bloated abdomen, excess wind, nausea, vomiting and indigestion. Some people also experience a sense of fullness. If the main symptom is diarrhoea, food passes through the digestive system faster than usual.

There can also be associated problems, such as back pain, tiredness, disturbed sleep and a tendency to urinate more frequently. The need to pass water is sometimes very urgent which is why it is sometimes confused with urge incontinence and doing so can be painful as well.