Do you have to worry about things others never give a second thought to? You might if you suffer from IBS. As a result you know you have to monitor the situation because a flare up can disrupt a shopping trip or derail a movie and dinner with friends. Problem is there is no way to tell ahead of time when the symptoms might strike. That's IBS for you. A chronic problem that can side track the best laid plans you may have.
This can be life disrupting. Physical issues aside, it can drastically alter your outlook on life. It can leave you withdrawn or afraid to go out. Plus it's not just a personal thing. Professionally it can slow you down too. Another way it takes a toll is through greater absenteeism.
So don't dismiss this with the wave of your hand. You could be affected by increased workload when coworkers so afflicted have to call off more often. That could lead to more stress. And worst case it may cause you to be stricken.
If you're wondering what triggers it, the answer would be many things.
Predominately a problem seen in women more so than men, irritable bowel syndrome is a persistent gastro intestinal disorder. Problem is this condition lacks a clear cut cause. There's nothing that can be pointed to every time.
There are things that seem to trigger it however. Some say it's stress related. Others point to diet. Given that it strikes women more often so do hormones have anything to do with it? Bottom line is no one knows for sure. Even more surprising is how many kids in the US also suffer from IBS.
Different people call this different things. Which is to say this condition has several aliases, I guess you could say. While some may call it colitis it's not really.
Typically there is no reason to believe that irritable bowel is a precursor to something more serious like Crohn's disease or anything as serious as cancer. This is a fact you'd add to the plus side. If you have to have a problem, this one at least doesn't lead to something worse. Yet you can't just ignore this either since IBS can result in depression or similar problems for some. The best way to deal with it is to learn all you can.
Since the medical community typically diagnoses this problem based on such symptoms, what should one watch for?
Are you experiencing bloating, gas, diarrhea alternating with constipation?
Do you experience diarrhea early in morning or after eating?
Notice any mucus in your stool?
Do you have a series of bowel movements in quick succession? Or that you still need to have one even after you've just had one?
Then too these symptoms are a result of lifestyle. They can be brought on by eating certain foods, eating large meals, taking certain medications, drinking alcohol, and stress. Symptoms can be aggravated by these same factors.
Enough with the symptoms already. What about diagnosis?
What muddies the waters is other intestinal problems could also exhibit similar symptoms as IBS. For this reason you want an accurate diagnosis. But there is no specific test that can definitively diagnose IBS. Instead, the doctors will take a complete medical history. Plus they most likely will ask you to go through a series of tests in order to rule out other medical conditions before concluding that indeed it is IBS.
So after the diagnosis is in, then what?
Once you've been diagnosed with IBS, your doctor may lay out a program for you on how you can manage the condition. The best thing you can do is to prevent the symptoms from appearing by properly managing it.
For instance what you eat is important. Stay away from high fat diets and eliminate all foods that could aggravate the symptoms. Many find a food journal to be a big help. By tracking things you'll know what makes things worse. Over time you'll learn foods to avoid. Foods that usually tend to bring on IBS symptoms include dairy products, alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, wheat, gluten, and red meat. So avoid these and instead focus more on eating foods rich in soluble fiber and probiotics such as yogurt.
If you're hoping there's a pill of some sort, well not so much. Although there are differnt kinds of irritable bowel syndrome treatment that can help alleviate the symptoms.
The diarrhea side might be treated with Loperamide. Constipation relieved with gentle laxatives. For patients who are already suffering from depression, anti-depressants could be prescribed.
Other IBS sufferers however prefer treating their condition the natural way by using relaxing techniques to reduce stress. These could be in the form of meditation, hypnosis, counseling, and exercise.
Symptom control comes down to changing your diet and reducing the amount of stress you're exposed to. For some this is easier said than done. But with the help of a thoughtful health care provider you can gain the upper hand. Reducing your episode of irritable bowel syndrome to an occasional nuisance rather than life controlling situation.
