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Lots of people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) worry that they have something serious, like cancer. But IBS doesn't lead to serious illnesses.

If you have irritable bowel syndrome, it will not:

• Make your life shorter. People with IBS live just as long as other people¹
• Lead to a more serious disease, such as inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease or bowel cancer. To read more, see Other problems in the bowels
• Cause permanent damage to your bowels or cause bleeding.

But your symptoms probably won't go away. In a study which looked at how people's symptoms changed after an average of two years:²

• Up to 2 in 10 people had symptoms that got worse
• Between 3 in 10 and 5 in 10 people had symptoms that didn't change
• The remainder had symptoms that improved or disappeared.

If you have bad IBS, it can affect how much enjoyment you get out of life. It may make you feel depressed or anxious.² It may also affect your relationships and work.³ If this is happening to you, you are not alone. One study of people with IBS found that:

• Nearly 5 in 10 said IBS interfered with their sex life
• Almost 5 in 10 had to take time off work because of their IBS
• Almost 5 in 10 suffered embarrassment using the bathroom at work
• About 3 in 10 stopped applying for promotions or new jobs
• About 1 in 10 had to give up work altogether.

If you are depressed, there are treatments that can help. To read more, see Feeling depressed.

If you have IBS, you're more likely to go to see your doctor about other health problems.⁴ These include:

• Migraines
• Asthma
• Depression.

But doctors don't know why this is. You are also more likely to have an operation to:

• Remove your gall bladder.⁵ Your gall bladder is a small sac under your liver which stores bile. Your body needs bile to help break down fat and carry away waste products
• Remove your womb (a hysterectomy).⁶ About 1 in 5 women with IBS have had a hysterectomy.

But we don't know if the increased chance of surgery if you have IBS is due to:^{5 6}

• The wrong diagnosis. The symptoms of IBS may be confused with symptoms from other parts of your body. This may lead to unnecessary operations
• The same underlying problem producing symptoms in your bowel, gall bladder and womb
• Symptoms of IBS happening because of an operation to remove your gall bladder or womb.

How badly you are affected by IBS depends on how it affects your enjoyment of life, rather than your symptoms.⁴

There are things you can do to control IBS and keep it from affecting your life too much. A good relationship with your doctor can really help.¹ You need someone who is able to give you time to discuss your worries. That way you're more likely to find ways to cope.

It also helps if you learn about IBS. This will help you feel more in control.⁷ You may find that getting in touch with a support group helps.⁸

There are things you can do to help yourself if you have IBS. To read more, see How you can help yourself.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.