Irritable bowel syndrome (ibs) is not really something that can be diagnosed as such. What happens is that various tests are carried out and if they come back negative then that indicates IBS. There is no actual test for IBS itself. I think this is why many patients don’t go to the doctor because they know that a whole load of tests will need to be performed and is puts them off. This stopped me going for nearly on 20 years and now I wish I had gone so much sooner.

The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are very similar to other digestive disorders and therefore it is really important that tests are done to rule out things such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticular disease, celiacs diesease and bowel cancer.

Diagnosing IBS

Here are some of the most common tests that could be performed. Some tests might be more suitable if you have constipation and others is you have diarrhea.

Abdominal Examination

Your doctor will be looking for signs of swelling, tenderness or lumps. It is likely that your abdomen will feel tender and there are squishy parts indicating gas or  a stool. Usually this will be felt on the lower left hand side or right hand side. For me it is most often on the right hand side.

Rectal Examination

This is where the doctor inserts their finger up your rectum to feel for lumps and to obtain information about the texture of the wall of your back passage. It is slightly uncomfortable but doesn’t hurt. Usually the results are normal in people with IBS.

Blood Test

This is rule out problems such as anaemia, infection or an underactive thyroid. If your results show low irons levels celiac disease will need to be ruled out with some antibody tests. This happened to me and although the antibody tests came back normal I still needed an endoscopy to check for visible signs of coleliacs as the antibody tests are not always right.

Ultrasound

You will need a full bladder for this is work best (when I say full I mean full!). A probe is pressed on your abdomen and moved up and down passing ultrasound waves through your body. The way in which these waves bounce back produce an image on a screen that is used to interpret any abnormalities.

Colonoscopy

Most people dread this but I didn’t find it too bad at all. A flexible tube is inserted up your rectum and is gradually moved along your intestines. There is a camera at the end and this shows images of the intestinal tract and lining. You will usually be given some form of pain relief for this procedure. The worst part about this test is that beforehand you have to take a very strong laxative the day before and you really do need to stay close to the bathroom for most of that day! This test will show up signs of inflammatory bowel diseases.

There may be other tests your doctor feels are important to perform to complete your diagnosis depending on results obtained.

One thing to say is that when all tests come back normal it can be quite upsetting. I was devastated as I had been sure I had celiacs and at least there is something you can do to remove symptoms. Just remember that IBS is a real condition, it is not something in your head and there are plenty of things you can do to relieve and treat the discomfort and control your symptoms.

(Resource: The IBS Diet – Sarah Brewer & Michelle Berriedale-Johnson)