Irritable bowel syndrome, also known as IBS, is a chronic condition of the digestive system characterised by recurrent symptoms such as abdominal pain. It is estimated that 10 to 20% of the population has symptoms of IBS. IBS can sometimes interfere with activities of daily living (school, work etc) thus affecting quality of life for chronic sufferers.
IBS symptoms include:
• Abdominal pain / cramps
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Abdominal bloating
Diagnosis of IBS requires a full medication evaluation – history taking, physical examination followed by investigations. As there is no specific diagnostic test for IBS, the choice of medical investigations (blood tests, scans) will depend on patient’s history and physical examination findings.
A visit to an IBS specialist (Gastroenterologist) is useful in the following situations:
• Diagnosis of IBS is uncertain
• There is a change in patient’s symptom
• Presence of alarm symptoms not typical of IBS such as weight loss, gastrointestinal bleeding (e.g. rectal bleeding), loss of appetite etc
Further tests may be required depending on the clinical suspicion such as CT scan, colonoscopy and others.
Due to the current Covid-19 situation, our clinic services are being streamlined to enable us to provide our usual services with effective social distancing measures. In addition to normal clinic consultation, we also offer telemedicine service for patients. Please contact or e-mail us at +65-62356136, +65-6288360 or enquiry@aliveomedical.com for further information.