• Online Scheduling | Careers

Lower Keys Medical Center
  • Quick Links
    • Find a Doctor
    • Services
      • Services

        • View All Services
        • Behavioral Health
        • Cancer Care
        • Critical Care Medicine
        • Diagnostic Imaging
        • Digestive Health
        • Ear, Nose & Throat Care
        • Emergency Services
        • Heart Care
        • Infectious Disease Care
        • Kidney Disorders
        • Laboratory Services
        • Maternity Care
        • Men's Health
        • Neurology
        • Nutrition Services
        • Orthopedic Services
        • Pharmacy
        • Primary Care
        • Rehabilitation Services
        • Respiratory Care
        • Robotic Surgery
        • Surgical Services
        • Urology
        • Vascular Medicine
        • Wellness Services
        • Women's Health
          • Patients & Visitors
            • For Patients

              • Patients & Visitors
              • Admissions
              • DAISY Award Nominations
              • Events
              • Financial Information
              • Health Library
              • Local Accommodations
              • Online Scheduling
              • Patient Notices
              • Patient Portal
              • Patient Satisfaction
              • Payment, Billing & Assistance Policies
              • Request Medical Records
                • Careers
                • Locations
                  • Hospitals
                  • Keys Medical Group
                  • Depoo Medical Building
                • About
                  • About

                    • About Us
                    • Careers
                    • CEO's Message
                    • Commitment to Our Community
                    • Community Benefits
                    • Contact Us
                    • Leadership
                    • Mission
                    • Newsroom
                    • Phone Directory
                    • Quality & Safety
                      • (305) 294-5531
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • Online Bill Pay
                      • Patient Portal
                      • Events
                      • Contact
                      • analog clock icon
                      • Avg ER Wait:
                        --

                        About ER Wait Times
                      Home/Services/Digestive Health/Irritable Bowel Syndrome
                      About Us
                      eNewsletter Redirect
                      Events
                      Events
                      Find a Doctor
                      Locations
                      Notice of Non-Discrimination
                      Patients & Visitors
                      Services
                      Behavioral Health
                      Inpatient Care
                      IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program)
                      Cancer Care
                      Imaging Services
                      Surgical Procedures
                      Critical Care Medicine
                      Diagnostic Imaging
                      Biopsy
                      Bone Densitometry
                      Breast Imaging
                      Cancer Care
                      CT Scan
                      Echocardiogram
                      Fluoroscopy
                      Interventional Radiology
                      MRI
                      Nuclear Medicine
                      PET/CT Scan
                      Ultrasound
                      Women's Imaging
                      X-ray
                      Digestive Health
                      Acid Reflux
                      Colonoscopy
                      Heartburn Care
                      Irritable Bowel Syndrome
                      Ear, Nose & Throat Care
                      Emergency Services
                      ER Wait Time
                      Heart Care
                      Accredited Chest Pain Center
                      Cardiac Catheterization
                      Cardiovascular Diagnosis & Imaging
                      Early Heart Attack Care
                      Heart Failure Care
                      Heart Rhythm Disorders
                      Infectious Disease Care
                      Kidney Disorders
                      Laboratory Services
                      Maternity Care
                      Men's Health
                      Heart Care
                      Neurology
                      Stroke Care
                      Nutrition Services
                      Orthopedic Services
                      Arthritis Care
                      Joint Replacement
                      Sports Medicine
                      Treatment Overview
                      Pharmacy
                      Primary Care
                      Family Practice
                      Internal Medicine
                      Pediatrics
                      Senior Care
                      Women's Health
                      Rehabilitation Services
                      Occupational Therapy
                      Outpatient Services
                      Physical Therapy
                      Speech Therapy
                      Respiratory Care
                      Robotic Surgery
                      Surgical Services
                      Breast Cancer Surgery
                      Cancer Care
                      Colonoscopy
                      Colorectal Surgery
                      Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgery
                      Endoscopy
                      Gynecological Surgery
                      Hand Surgery
                      Hernia Surgery
                      Laser Surgery
                      Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
                      Orthopedic Surgery
                      Robotic Surgery
                      Urological Surgery
                      Vascular Surgery
                      Urology
                      Vascular Medicine
                      Vascular Surgery
                      Wellness Services
                      Women's Health
                      Bone Health
                      Breast Care
                      Gynecology
                      Heart Care
                      Women's Imaging
                      • information
                      • news
                      • Avg ER Wait:
                        --

                        About ER Wait Times
                      • Directions

                        Find Our Location
                      • The New Age of Joint Replacement

                        05.14.2025

                      • Lower Keys Medical Center Announces DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses Recipients

                        05.08.2025

                      • See All News & Press Releases
                      • Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Featuring a monthly dose of information and inspiration for living well.

                        Learn More
                      • Mobile Device

                        Online Scheduling

                        Free, convenient online check-in services.

                        Learn More
                      • Nurse and Patient

                        Patient Portal

                        Access your medical information
                        on demand.

                        Learn More

                      Irritable Bowel Syndrome


                      Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a disorder that is characteristic of abdominal pain, cramping, changes in bowel movements and other symptoms. It is sometimes referred to as spastic colon, irritable colon and leaky gut. IBS is not the same as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In IBS, the bowel is normal unlike in IBD. IBS is a condition of nerve hypersensitivity, altered pain perception and changes in intestinal bacteria when compared to people without IBS. Psychological factors also play a role in this syndrome including trauma, stress, anxiety and depression.

                      IBS can occur at any age, but it often begins in the teen years or early adulthood. It is twice as common in women as in men. About 1 in 6 people in the U.S. have symptoms of IBS. It is one of the most common intestinal problems that causes patients to be referred to a bowel specialist (gastroenterologist). Symptoms should be properly worked up by a gastroenterologist for other possible causes before assuming IBS is the cause of one's symptoms.

                      Symptoms range from mild to severe. Most people have mild symptoms. Symptoms are different from person to person. The main symptoms of IBS are abdominal pain, fullness, gas and bloating that have been present for at least 3 days a month for the last 3 months. The pain and other symptoms will often be reduced or go away after a bowel movement, or occur when there is a change in how often you have bowel movements. People with IBS may switch between constipation and diarrhea, or mostly have one or the other.

                      People with diarrhea will have frequent, loose, watery stools. They will often have an urgent need to have a bowel movement, which may be hard to control. Those with constipation will have a hard time passing stool, as well as fewer bowel movements. They will often need to strain and will feel cramps with a bowel movement. Often, they do not release any stool, or only a small amount.

                      The mainstay of treatment for IBS is assuring no other disease is driving symptoms and then managing symptoms from various angles including diet modification, gut microbiome, non-medicinal therapies, medicinal therapies and mental health.

                      Related Articles

                      • Are Eggs Healthy? Unscrambling the Facts
                      • Breakfast Foods for Weight Loss
                      • Celiac Disease
                      All Health Library Articles

                      Lower Keys Medical Center

                      • 5900 College Rd
                      • Key West, FL 33040
                      • P: (305) 294-5531

                      • ADA Accessibility Policy
                      • Terms & Conditions
                      • Privacy Policy
                      • Change Your Privacy Choices
                      • Notice of Privacy Practices
                      • Patient Rights & Responsibilities
                      • Price Transparency

                      Copyright ©2025. All rights reserved.

                      An AllianceHealth Oklahoma® hospital

                      Services

                      • Behavioral Health
                      • Cancer Care
                      • Critical Care Medicine
                      • Diagnostic Imaging
                      • Digestive Health
                      • Ear, Nose & Throat Care
                      • Emergency Services
                      • Heart Care
                      • Infectious Disease Care
                      • Kidney Disorders
                      • Laboratory Services
                      • Maternity Care
                      • Men's Health
                      • Neurology
                      • Nutrition Services
                      • Orthopedic Services
                      • Pharmacy
                      • Primary Care
                      • Rehabilitation Services
                      • Respiratory Care
                      • Robotic Surgery
                      • Surgical Services
                      • Urology
                      • Vascular Medicine
                      • Wellness Services
                      • Women's Health

                      Patients & Visitors

                      • Admissions
                      • DAISY Award Nominations
                      • Events
                      • Financial Information
                      • Health Library
                      • Local Accommodations
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • Patient Notices
                      • Patient Portal
                      • Patient Satisfaction
                      • Payment, Billing & Assistance Policies
                      • Request Medical Records

                      About Us

                      • Careers
                      • CEO's Message
                      • Commitment to Our Community
                      • Community Benefits
                      • Contact Us
                      • Leadership
                      • Mission
                      • Newsroom
                      • Phone Directory
                      • Quality & Safety

                      Notice of Nondiscrimination
                      • English,
                      • አማርኛ,
                      • العربية,
                      • বাংলা,
                      • ျမန္မာဘာသာ,
                      • tsalagi gawonihisdi,
                      • 繁體中文,
                      • Chahta,
                      • Oroomiffa,
                      • Nederlands,
                      • Français,
                      • Kreyòl Ayisyen,
                      • Deutsch,
                      • ગુજરાતી,
                      • हिंदी,
                      • Hmoob,
                      • Igbo asusu,
                      • Ilokano,
                      • Italiano,
                      • 日本語,
                      • 한국어,
                      • Ɓàsɔ́ɔ̀‑wùɖù‑po‑nyɔ̀,
                      • ພາສາລາວ,
                      • Kajin Ṃajōḷ,
                      • ខ្មែរ,
                      • Diné Bizaad,
                      • नेपाली,
                      • Deitsch,
                      • فارسی,
                      • Polski,
                      • Português,
                      • ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
                      • Română,
                      • Русский,
                      • Gagana fa'a Sāmoa,
                      • Srpsko‑hrvatski,
                      • Español,
                      • ܣܘܼܪܸܬ݂,
                      • Tagalog,
                      • ภาษาไทย,
                      • Türkçe,
                      • Українська,
                      • اُردُو,
                      • Tiếng Việt,
                      • èdè Yorùbá,
                      • עִברִית
                      Loading... Loading...