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Diagnosis

Irritable bowel syndrome is difficult to diagnose. In most cases, test results do not show anything out of the ordinary. The intestines (bowels) often look normal, but the patient still has symptoms. Health care providers usually diagnose IBS through a process of elimination, by ruling out other diseases that cause similar symptoms (e.g., diverticulitis).

The first step in diagnosing IBS is a thorough analysis of the patient's medical history. Physicians evaluate the symptoms; ...Read the full article