A Gastroenterologist Explains Irritable Bowel Syndrome

You can look at irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in two key ways: what it is, and what it’s not. That’s because a syndrome is really a group of symptoms that occur together, with no visibly obvious cause.

Because of that, there’s no one test that can diagnosis IBS; to determine whether you have it, doctors must first rule out other possible conditions, according to Anthony Starpoli, MD, gastroenterologist in New York City.

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Reviewed by:

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.

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