Diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is generally diagnosed after describing the symptoms to your general practitioner. Your Doctor may recommend further tests such as blood tests, x-rays or endoscopy, but in general these are used to eliminate other causes leaving IBS as the diagnosis.

New guidelines have been issued which for the first time allows for positive diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome. The guidelines offer advice to GPs that IBS should be specifically considered in patients with abdominal pain/discomfort stating that patients should have two out of four symptoms including: altered stool passage; abdominal bloating; symptoms made worse by eating; or passage of mucus. It is acknowledged in these guidelines that Doctors should clearly exclude causes other than IBS using a blood sample, to check full blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein level and antibody testing for coeliac disease, and note that for those with symptoms (noted as red flag indicators) such as unexpected weight loss, rectal bleeding or a family history of bowel of ovarian cancer it is recommended that they should be referred to secondary care for investigation.