IBS, or irritable bowl syndrome, is a medical condition in which the patient suffers a perceived need to pass waste very often. Irritable bowel syndrome provides a wide range of symptoms to patients who suffer from it. A patient could be suffering from a mild, moderate or a severe version of IBS, which will determine the kind of medication and treatment offered. This variation in the intensity of IBS is due to the different manner in which the bodies of different people react to foods or stress. The symptoms will also vary from patient to patient, depending upon the severity of the condition. For instance, a person who has a severe form of IBS tends to display one symptom more than the other. In the case of women, the symptoms become more acute during their menstrual cycle. This suggests that reproductive hormones can aggravate IBS.

The most common symptoms of IBS are abdominal pains, general feelings of discomfort, cramps and a change in the bowel pattern. The patient could also suffer from either diarrhea or constipation, or in certain cases, from both these ailments alternatively. Mucus in the stool is another sign that a person is afflicted with IBS. A feeling that you have not quite finished your bowel movement, a swollen or bloated abdomen (due to accumulation of gas in the intestines), rumbling noises and the constant need to pass gas are signals that should not be ignored. A person with IBS can also experience lethargy, fits of depression and disturbed sleep.