Abstract

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder affecting commonly the large intestine, and manifests as stomach-ache, gaseous distension of the abdomen, often diarrhoea, and sometimes constipation. The diagnosis is generally made on presenting symptoms and excluding other known causes of such symptoms. Some people can win over their symptoms by diet alteration, lifestyle changes, and minimizing stress situations. Severe symptoms are treated with medication and counselling.

I present one such case of a professionally busy spinster lady complaining of pain in epigastric region of the abdomen, gaseous distension, frequent diarrhoea and constipation episodes and uneasiness starting in April 2020. The problem starts after she retires in 2018 from a remarkably busy schedule of heading a government Polytechnic after 30 odd years of services. Her work culture changes and gets more leisure time, not able to keep herself busy and being a spinster not much of family support. After multiple consultations in a northern district of Karnataka she lands in Bengaluru for detailed check-up and confirmation of diagnosis and treatment plan. Ruling out all-possible causes of the symptoms, through battery of investigations, endoscopy, Colonoscopy, CT Scan of abdomen and Pelvis, echocardiography, KFT, LFT, etc a final diagnosis of IBS is arrived at and under observation for over a month

Keywords: Dyspepsia; Non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD); Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

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