The prognosis for IBS is very good. Patients can have a short duration of symptoms and then be fine for many years. There are also patients who have mild symptoms, get better for a long time, and then have symptoms again. It’s really variable. Untreated IBS can affect the quality of life in many people. It can be one of the main causes of missed work. If you have IBS, it’s very important to find a doctor and get treated because you can lead a very normal life with IBS with all of the advancements in the field.