How do you diagnose ibs (irritable bowel syndrome)?

Rome 3 criteria: Irritable bowel syndrome (ibs) is a condition associated w/ abdominal discomfort, altered /alternating stool pattern, accompanying nausea, bloating, gassiness. Often improved by stooling, ibs is defined by changes in perception of gut distension, motility, sensation. Diet & emotional stress may be a factor. Rome 3 diagnostic criteria must 1st rule out inflammation, ischemia, & infection. See doc.

Rule out other cause: Ibs is mostly a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning that a full work up reveals nothing, and the patient is treated symptomatically. I find that majority of ibs cases are du to overgrowth of yeast or other opportunistic bugs in the GI tract, in conjunction with food sensitivities. Start with adding a probiotic and eliminating grains and dairy products, as these are the most common food sensitiviities.

Clinical picture: Ibs can be diagnosed with the right clinical picture / symptoms with lack of alarm features (anemia, bleeding, wt loss, etc.). Diagnostic symptoms - and pain in the setting of altered bowel habits (diarrhea or constipation) over a several month period.