Do you have stomach pain, cramping, bloating, gas, constipation or other digestive problems? Is it worse when you are stressed? Having trouble deciding what to eat? Maybe you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Find out more about what IBS is and what you can do to relieve or prevent symptoms.
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Feeling sick to your stomach? Indigestion, gas, stomachache, bloating, nausea, diarrhea? Having an upset stomach (dyspepsia) or belly ache is not unusual. Most everyone has experienced this at some time in their lives, regardless of age or lifestyle. Generally it is caused from eating too much unhealthy food, too quickly. Most often the cause of stomach upset can be a problem specific to one of the many organs in your abdomen. What are the causes of dyspepsia and how can this be treated naturally?
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a disorder that affects the large intestine or colon. It causes abdominal pain, diarrhea and changes in your bowel movement. The U.S. National Library of Medicine states,
“About 1 in 6 people in the U.S. have symptoms of IBS. It is the most common intestinal problem that causes patients to be referred to a bowel specialist (gastroenterologist).”
IBS is usually not extremely serious and doesn’t cause permanent damage to your large intestine. The symptoms of the disorder can be controlled by either medication or changes in your diet such as eating more fibrous food. A small percentage of people can experience more severe symptoms that may be crippling to their everyday lives. The disorder affects more women than men, possibly due to the hormonal changes women go through. Many are diagnosed with the disorder before the age of 35 and have a relative with irritable bowel syndrome. Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic condition. For some people, the condition may worsen with time and for others, the condition completely disappears.
Symptoms
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the most common signs and symptoms of the irritable bowel syndrome are as follows:
These symptoms vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe. Often times, symptoms may decrease with a bowel movement. IBS may cause you to experience a loss of appetite.
Cause(s) of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
The cause of irritable bowel syndrome is not known. Some documented risk factors of the condition include being young, being female and having a family member with IBS. People of all ages can be diagnosed with the disorder. It can arise after a person has experienced an infection of the intestine. With irritable bowel syndrome, food is forced into your intestine either more quickly than normal or slower than normal. The result of food moving more quickly into the intestine is diarrhea and the result from food moving more slowly into the intestine is constipation or dry and hard stool.
Tests and Diagnosis
Currently, there are no tests to accurately diagnose irritable bowel syndrome. Your doctor may perform a full physical exam as well as complete a medical history. Most of the time, diagnosis is the result of the process of elimination of other diseases. IBS has a tendency to mimic other diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease or colon cancer. Mayo Clinic provides a list and description of tests that may be taken to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome in the following:
Foods That Trigger Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Treatments for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome can usually be treated by managing the symptoms of the condition. Some lifestyle changes/treatment options are as follows:
Alternative Treatments
People look towards alternative medicine when traditional modern medicine may not be effective inrelieving the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine provides a list of treatments to aide with symptoms of the disorder, including the following:
Sources:
About Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD)
Aragon G, Graham DB, Borum M, Doman DB (Jan 2010). Probiotic therapy for irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y) 6 (1): 39–44 PubMed
Brenner DM, Moeller MJ, Chey WD, Schoenfeld PS (April 2009). The utility of probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review. Am. J. Gastroenterol. 104 (4): 1033–49 PubMed
Ducrotté P (Nov 2007). Irritable bowel syndrome: current treatment options. Presse Med. 36 (11 Pt 2): 1619–26 PubMed
Gaylord SA, Palsson OS, Garland EL, et al. Mindfulness training reduces the severity of irritable bowel syndrome in women: results of a randomized controlled trial. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2011; 106(9):1678–1688. PubMed
Grundmann O, Yoon SL (Jan 14, 2014),Complementary and alternative medicines in irritable bowel syndrome: An integrative view. World J Gastroenterol 20(2): 346–362 PubMed
Irritable Bowel Syndrome – U.S. National Library of Medicine
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Definitions – Mayo Clinic
Irritable bowel syndrome. (September 2007) The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), NIH Publication No. 07-693. pdf
Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Complementary Health (NCCAM) – National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practices
Lindfors P, Unge P, Arvidsson P, Nyhlin H, Björnsson E, Abrahamsson H, Simrén M. (2012) Effects of gut-directed hypnotherapy on IBS in different clinical settings- results from two randomized, controlled studies Am J Gastroenterol. 2012; 107(2):276-85
Lindfors P, Unge P, Nyhlin H, Ljótsson B, Björnsson E, Abrahamsson H, Simrén (2012) M. Long-term effects of hypnotherapy in patients with refractory irritable bowel syndrome Scand J Gastroenterol. 2012;47(4):414-20
Lindfors P, Ljótsson B, Björnsson E, Abrahamsson H, Simrén M. (2012) Patient satisfaction after gut-directed hypnotherapy in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2012. Oct 5. PubMed
Manheimer E, Cheng K, Wieland LS, Min LS, Shen X, Berman BM, Lao L (2012). Acupuncture for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 5(5) PubMed
Nikfar S, Rahimi R, Rahimi F, Derakhshani S, Abdollahi M (December 2008). Efficacy of probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome: a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials. Dis. Colon Rectum 51 (12): 1775–80 PubMed
Shen YH, Nahas R (Feb 2009). Complementary and alternative medicine for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Can Fam Physician 55 (2): 143–8. PubMed
Wilkins T, Pepitone C, Alex B, Schade RR (Sep 1, 2012). “Diagnosis and management of IBS in adults.” American family physician 86 (5): 419–26. PubMed
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This article is written by Hang Pham. Hang Pham is a Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance Health and Wellness Educator. Hang Pham was born in Hoc Mon, Vietnam. She came to America in 1994, becoming a U.S. citizen in 2011. Hang graduated from Seaside High School with diploma and received her AA in General Studies from Monterey Peninsula College in 2011. She received her BA in Collaborative Health and Human Services from California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) in 2012. In addition to working as a volunteer staff with the Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance, she currently works as a Clerical Aid in the Human Resources Department of Salinas City Hall.
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