If you experience three of the most common symptoms for more than three days and you have not had symptoms that indicate bowel disease , then a diagnosis of irritable bowel can usually be made. Having an irritable bowel makes the individual more sensitive to stress, food and other stimulants, but it does not lead to bowel cancer, or other serious bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease, ulcers, or colitis. Irritable bowel affects men and women of all age groups and all races. However, it usually strikes young, healthy adults often prior to the age of thirty. IBS symptom onset after the age of forty is less common and should certainly be reported to your physician.
Studies indicate that twice as many women are affected than men .
Hispanics are slightly less affected by irritable bowel than Caucasians and African Americans. Some studies report a lower incidence in older individuals, but more current studies do not conclusively support these findings. IBS also appears quite common in non-Western countries including Japan, Africa, India and China. Barriers to care include embarrassment, fear complaints will be dismissed, fear of diagnostic tests and procedures, and the belief that nothing can be done. The realities of IBS are that the disease is highly prevalent, misunderstood and has a significant impact on the sufferer, the family and individual productivity.