Spastic Colitis also goes by the name Irritable bowel syndrome or mucous colitis. This is a common bowel condition and affects about 15 percent of the population in the US alone. The term spastic colitis or irritable bowel is often a vague one and would mean several things.

This can also be considered as functional disease of the digestive system which means that there could be something wrong in the nerves that innervate the digestive tract or the muscles in it. Spastic colitis would oftentimes involve the esophagus, stomach, gallbladder and small intestines. The abnormality in the nerves or in the muscles of the digestive system would cause the organs in it to function improperly. Not only does spastic colitis involve the nerves and muscles in the GIT but also the nerves in the spinal cord to which these are attached.

When a person suffers from functional diseases of the digestive system such as spastic colitis, the normal transporting, grinding and mixing mechanism of the GIT is hampered thus this would often result to symptoms like nausea, vomiting and abdominal bloating. Rapid passage of stool or diarrhea may likewise be noted. Paradoxically speaking, the person may also suffer from constipation and flatulence may be noted probably due to the proliferation of bacteria in the colon. This condition can oftentimes be diagnosed basing on its clinical manifestations but more sophisticated tests like x-ray, endoscopy, CT scan, MRI and biopsy can also be done to confirm the existence of this condition.