Like every parent you want to keep your children away from harm and keep them safe from disease, however, there are many diseases that can affect the health of your child and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of them. Irritable bowel syndrome is a common disorder of the intestines that often leads to abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation or some combination of these problems. Some children with IBS have infrequent bowel movements while others have frequent loose stools, often with an urgent need to rush to the bathroom. While other children with IBS have a crampy urge to move their bowels but cannot do so. Irritable bowel syndrome effects the large intestine, which is often referred to as the colon. The main function of the large intestine is to absorb water and nutrients from the partially digested food that enters the colon from the small intestine. After the water and nutrients are absorbed from the digested food, the remaining unabsorbed food particles are expelled from the body. These unabsorbed food particles form the bowel movement or stool. For any person to have a bowel movement, the muscles of lower intestines need to work in a coordinated fashion. If this process gets interrupted, the undigested food particles in the colon can’t move along smoothly. These food particles either don’t move or sometimes move too fast. This sort of movement is painful to a person, but can be hard to explain to a child. Although the cause of IBS has not been isolated, there are a number of factors that are believed to produce the symptoms in children. These include, Visceral hypersensitivity (a hypersensitive reaction to the widening of the rectum), psychological problems, and bacterial infections. It has been observed that children with functional gastrointestinal disorders have hypersensitivity to changes within the intestine, whether to the presence of food or as a result of widening or distension of the rectum. Psychological problems may also contribute to irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. The emotional state of a child can directly influence the activity of the gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes, high levels of anxiety or stress can induce diarrhea. Bacterial infections are another major cause of irritable bowel syndrome. Sometimes children with gastroenteritis caused by a bacterial infection develop irritable bowel syndrome. Asking questions about symptoms is a part of diagnosing any disease in a child and irritable bowel syndrome is not an exception. Doctors will ask questions about the symptoms and examine the child to rule out more serious problems. It should be noted that IBS does not damage the intestine, although IBS is very uncomfortable and can be hard for a child to understand and cope with. After the physical exam and other tests, if the doctors find no sign of disease or damage, they may diagnose IBS. Continue reading to discover more about overcome irritable bowel syndrome about how IBS can be relieved naturally by signing up for our free newsletter. For treatment, doctors often advise changes to the diet – including eating more fiber and reducing fat intake to help prevent spasms. Also, a form of toilet training can be useful to teach the child to empty the bowels at regular, specific times during the day. Doctors rarely prescribe medications like laxatives because children are more susceptible to addiction than adults. There are a number of conditions that can effect your child and irritable bowel syndrome can be a difficult one to explain, and for them to live with. However, there are ways to help relieve the symptoms once the condition is diagnosed. Sign up for the free Irritable Bowel Syndrome Newsletter and discover new and natural methods to manage your Free irritable bowel syndrome newsletter. You can also find more irritable bowel syndrome resources here.