NewYork-Presbyterian. The University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell.

Digestive Diseases

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Back to the nypdigestive.org Home Page

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) consists of a group of symptoms, the most common of which are abdominal discomfort or pain, cramping, gas, bloating, diarrhea, and/or constipation. IBS involves the colon or large bowel, the part of the digestive tract that stores stool. Not a disease, IBS is a functional disorder in which the bowel does not function properly. While there is no cure, there are effective treatments.

Experts are not certain what causes IBS. They believe it is a disorder of the muscles and/or nerves of the bowel: nerves may respond when the bowel stretches with food, or muscles may over-contract in response to food, causing cramping and diarrhea while or after eating.

IBS does not damage the bowel, or lead to other health problems, although it is painful.