The most frequently occurring lower gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms can be considered in three groups:1. abdominal pain and/or bloating;2. altered bowel function symptoms: constipation, increased bowel frequency or looser consistency stools;3. rectal symptoms: the sensation of incomplete evacuation and the increased passage of mucus.Symptoms tend to occur in clusters: for example, the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), loosely definable as abdominal pain associated with any of the above symptoms. The frequent occurrence of these symptoms can be gauged from population-based studies showing a UK prevalence of approximately 20%.
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