Irritable bowel syndrome
July 22, 2009 by Admin
Filed under IBS - Free Content
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common problem affecting the gastrointestinal (digestive) system. It is also sometimes called irritable colon, spastic colon and mucous colitis. It is a chronic (prolonged), intermittent condition characterised by abdominal pains and disturbed bowel movements in the absence of any detectable abnormality of the bowel tissues. It is, therefore, a collection of symptoms rather than a single disease and can only be diagnosed once other diseases such as gastroenteritis or inflammatory bowel disease have been excluded. However, it is a real and unpleasant condition.
What are the causes of irritable bowel syndrome and who is at risk?
For many people IBS is a condition of unknown cause. Some people with IBS also have psychiatric symptoms and stress. Emotional states can affect the function of the digestive tract and IBS is a symptom of depression in some people. IBS may also be caused by abnormal function of the muscles of the intestine (also known as the bowel), which may occur spontaneously or be triggered by stress.
What are the common symptoms and complications of irritable bowel syndrome?
IBS is a relapsing and remitting condition, that is to say it comes and goes. The most common problem is periods of passing frequent small stools that alternate with periods of constipation. Other common symptoms are: sensation of incompletely emptying the bowels,
passage of mucus with stools,
crampy abdominal pain,
bloating,
excessive flatulence (passing of wind).
If the stools contain blood, any diarrhoea is prolonged or other more serious symptoms such as weight loss occur, the person is unlikely to have IBS.
The doctor may also want to carry out some tests, such as:
blood tests,
ultrasound scans of the abdomen,
endoscopy (passing a fibre-optic tube into the digestive tract and directly observing the inside of the bowel),
barium studies (X-rays of the digestive tract after a barium solution has been placed into the bowel).
The purpose of these tests is to exclude other conditions. It may be better to see the doctor on a few occasions over a period of time and have only simple tests performed, rather than to have a whole battery of tests at the first appointment. This will also check that symptoms do not indicate any more serious disease of the digestive tract.
What is the treatment for irritable bowel syndrome?
Self-care action plan
As the cause of IBS is unknown, no therapy is specific. Although responses to change in diet vary between individuals, some people benefit from eating bran (this must be coarse bran from a health food shop, not the fine bran typically found in breakfast cereals), and others find that a reduction in sugar and fat intake helps. It may also be useful to keep to strict meal and toilet times, to help regulate the bowel. Peppermint in tea or in oils is said to have a calming effect on the digestive tract, and so may also be of help.
Complementary therapy
Many herbal and homoeopathic remedies are available for IBS, but (as with the therapies discussed above) little if any evidence shows that they are of benefit. The effects of herbal remedies tend to have been investigated less carefully than those of conventional medicines. Consequently, these preparations may contain compounds with quite powerful effects on the body that have not been rigorously tested for safety. As mentioned above, herbal teas may be of help.
Therapies that reduce stress and promote a sense of well being, including the Alexander technique and yoga is often beneficial.
By: Sajid Latif
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptom
July 13, 2009 by Admin
Filed under IBS - Free Content
Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic digestive disorder, which presents with altered bowel habits, alternating between periods of constipation and diarrhea. Stools may be soft and watery or hard and lumpy and the frequency and the urgency of bowel movements are effected.
The cause of IBS is not known, although it is speculated that it is a neurotransmitter miscommunication between the bowel and the brain that may be causing the problem.
One thing that is known is those with IBS seem to be hypersensitive to diet or movements in the bowel, and there are generally abnormalities in the motor functions in the bowel.
The bowel is responsible for the formation and storage of stool so any abnormality to the functions it carries out can have adverse effects on the stool passage, frequency and consistency.
The condition is not a disease but a group of symptoms, and this is why it is referred to as a syndrome. The symptoms tend to be physical in nature although psychological methods of treatment should not be ruled out as they have shown to be helpful and effective.
The symptoms of IBS include abdominal pain or cramping, which is usually felt in the lower region of the bowel. This pain may be incessant or intermittent and can range from mild to severe. The onset usually occurs together with changes in bowel movement pattern.
There are three classifications of IBS, they are constipation predominant (IBS-C), diarrhea predominant (IBS-D) or if the person fluctuates between constipation and diarrhea, they are referred to as having alternating stool patterns (IBS-A). It is most common to be either constipation or diarrhea predominant and generally those symptoms will not change until the irritable bowel syndrome is relieved.
Often defecating can alleviate the crampy stomach pains and bloating. Interestingly, relaxation of the gut can also bring relief, which is why when a person is sleeping the symptoms generally do not occur. Gut motility (movement) is virtually absent during sleep and sudden bowel movement does not normally occur during sleep as muscles in the intestines are also relaxed.
Other, less common symptoms may appear; symptoms including nausea with the pain, vomiting with abdominal distension. If any of these symptoms continue, or any of the following symptoms occur then speak with your doctor immediately: blood in mucus upon stool passage and swollen and painful joints.
Due to its similarity to other conditions properly diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome becomes a process of elimination. All other possible causes of the symptoms must be investigated and eliminated one by one as there is no single diagnostic test that can immediately point to IBS.
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Although it is one of the most common disorders, several similar symptoms can be present in other more severe diseases, as well, which is why it is usually only diagnosed after all other tests and results have been negative.
It is worth pointing out that IBS has not been found to cause any damage to the gut, and once the triggers and therefore the symptoms are managed successfully, the chances of the condition reoccurring are reduced.
Irritable bowel syndrome symptom relief is available after diagnosis by following a plan that identifies triggers that cause symptoms, and alleviating the symptoms as they arrive. In this way both the causes and the effects of the condition can be managed.
By: Susan Reynolds
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The Hypnotherapy And Irritable Bowel Syndrome Connection
July 7, 2009 by Admin
Filed under IBS - Free Content
IBS is a functional bowel disease, as it is considered as an abnormality in the way the bowels work. The true cause of irritable bowel syndrome is still unknown.
The disorder is not infectious or cancerous, although several factors have been identified that increase the risk of having IBS, including being under thirty-five years old and having family members who have the condition.
One significant theory that has been tested with results, however, was that psychological trauma or abuse may play a role in the development of the condition. People who have experienced some form of mental illness, have a history of sexual abuse, or have been witness to traumatic incidents were known to be more likely to develop irritable bowel syndrome.
Hypnotherapy, among other things, then aims to focus on this particular area and how it can alleviate and reduce the symptoms to a more manageable level or perhaps completely. Hypnotherapy uses similar methods to hypnosis, but it is focused on more scientific proven processes to help the IBS sufferer. Patients are not mentally altered during the process, and they can at any time stop the therapy.
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Hypnotherapy has been shown to be very safe and comfortable for patients, and also surprisingly inexpensive. The treatment does not aim to cure irritable bowel syndrome, but to help patients gain more control over the symptoms to reduce feelings of pain and complete bowel elimination. More than one person can be treated in a single hypnotherapy session.
Aside from the usual treatment options available for irritable bowel syndrome, hypnosis provides a relatively new approach to patients. Instead of altering diet and physical activity and taking antispasmodic and pain-relieving agents, mental relaxation and stimulation are used, to provide patients a firmer grasp of the condition and to equip them to deal with symptoms as they arise.
These are the same symptoms that hinder patients from functioning properly, being able to do normal activities of daily living and most importantly, thinking that they do not have full control of their own bodies.
Some study results showed that sufferer’s who underwent hypnotherapy for IBS had reduced symptoms and irritable bowel syndrome relapses did not occur for the entire duration of the three-month study. Colonic motility and gastric acid secretion were slowed down, which greatly improved their elimination patterns. Besides having continuing feelings of relief and comfort, patients also reported that hypnotherapy is free of adverse side effects.
Hypnotherapy and irritable bowel syndrome patients must have a mutual ground that aims to recover and minimize the symptoms of the condition. Hypnotherapists strongly suggest that their patients trust them, in order to fully benefit from the treatment.
By: Susan Reynolds
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