IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME
The commonest cause of recurrent abdominal pain is what is called the spastic colon or the irritable bowel syndrome.
Exactly why it occurs is unknown although it is believed to be due to anxiety. Apparently the muscles in the wall of the large bowel are overactive, and go into cramp-like spasms which cause pain and either diarrhoea or constipation.
Treatment consists first in making the diagnosis and so relieving the patient’s anxiety that the symptoms might be due to cancer. Drugs which reduce the spasm in the muscles have been of value, as have tranquillisers and a diet high in fibre content.
Some researchers are not at all convinced that the irritable bowel syndrome is due to nervous tension. They think that only those with a high level of anxiety go to the doctor to complain about their abdominal pain; the rest simply put up with it.
If it is not due to anxiety, what does cause it? Food allergy is often suspected; the modern highly refined diet low in bulk is another possibility.
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