IBS is a very common digestive disorder that has a significant impact on the affected patient’s quality of life. Although it is a very benign disease and never leads to anything serious but patients continue to suffer from abdominal pain, bloating, and altered and bowel habits. Symptoms fluctuate over time and may be related to eating habits and lifestyle stress.

Some patients spend a lot of time getting unnecessary investigations and endoscopies over and over again. While it is important to exclude conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, gluten allergy, lactose intolerance and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, a positive diagnosis of IBS is important so that patients can be counselled properly, explained diet and lifestyle modifications and given drugs for symptomatic relief as needed. Many patients of IBS have a fear of developing cancer which is not true.