Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a chronic and benign functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that causes abdominal pain and/or bloating and altered bowel movements with constipation diarrhea or alternation of both. It is considered a very frequent pathology since it has an incidence of 10-15% of the population with a higher prevalence in women. It is not qualified as a serious disorder but it can greatly affect the quality of the patient depending on the intensity of its symptomatology even leading to social exclusion in some cases. In recent years the low-fermentable carbohydrate diet (FODMAP) and the use of probiotics have been mentioned as an option to improve symptoms in patients with IBS. This paper reviews the available evidence and the effects on the symptomatology of the syndrome concluding with a decalogue of recommendations.