The Best Diet For Irritable Bowel Syndrome
July 22, 2009 by Admin
Filed under IBS - Free Content
Although symptoms are generally similar for most irritable bowel syndrome sufferers, there is no general pattern to be strictly followed in creating the optimum diet to relieve symptoms. Each diet is individualized, according the predominant symptoms they are suffering from, any specific allergies or intolerance they may have, their lifestyle as well as the patient’s personal preferences.
A dietary regime will usually begin with a general diet that has been shown to relieve symptoms in the majority of people, but changes may be made throughout the course of treatment, to adjust to the symptoms presented, as well as individual preferences.
Continue reading to discover what foods in an IBS diet can help relieve symptoms, and sign up for our free newsletter.
There are proven effects that some foods have on the gastrointestinal tract, which is why the content of the diet, as well as the manner of eating must be carefully observed to attain results. Generally, foods that make symptoms worse, by increasing abdominal pain and worsening bowel habits, are processed products, gas-forming fruits and vegetables, alcohol, lactose and caffeine. Also those foods high in fat and insoluble fiber are usually excluded initially from the diet.
The different categories of food can be detrimental to the passage of waste material in the intestinal tract and the colon. Adverse effects can cause pain in the area, as pressure of the contractions excites the nerve endings and also cause the swelling of the colon or abdominal distension, due to air accumulation.
These restricted foods are those that have been categorized as being gastrointestinal stimulants or irritants, which hamper the gastrocolic reflex. When there is a dysfunction of the gastrocolic reflex, digestion, absorption and evacuation can be difficult.
Soluble fiber can greatly aid in bowel movement, by relieving and relaxing the muscles in the intestines responsible for moving digested particles. In the case of irritable bowel syndrome, there is either hypercontractility (excessive contracting), which hastens the movement of the bowel, or hypocontractility (not enough contracting), which delays the movement of the bowel. The former can cause diarrhea, while the latter can cause constipation. It is not uncommon for both conditions to occur alternately in irritable bowel syndrome.
Soluble fiber can significantly help ease the contractions, which can reduce pain and discomfort in the area and stop both diarrhea and constipation episodes.
Choosing the right diet for irritable bowel syndrome relief is important. The identification of trigger foods and the introduction of foods that help ease symptoms, while restricting those that cause the symptoms to worsen is a slow but essential part of overcoming IBS.
By: Susan Reynolds
About the Author:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
July 11, 2009 by Admin
Filed under IBS - Free Content
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a problem that affects the large intestine. It can cause abdominal cramping, bloating and a change in bowel habits. Some people with the disorder have constipation. Some have diarrhea. Some go back and forth between constipation and diarrhea. Although IBS can cause a great deal of discomfort, it does not harm the intestines.
What causes IBS?
Doctors are not sure what causes IBS. The nerves and muscles in the bowel appear to be extra sensitive in people with IBS. Muscles may contract too much when you eat. These contractions can cause cramping and diarrhea during or shortly after a meal. Or the nerves may react when the bowel stretches, causing cramping or pain.
The lining of the colon called the epithelium, which is affected by the immune and nervous systems, regulates the flow of fluids in and out of the colon. In IBS, the epithelium appears to work properly. However, when the contents inside the colon move too quickly, the colon loses its ability to absorb fluids. The result is too much fluid in the stool. In other people, the movement inside the colon is too slow, which causes extra fluid to be absorbed. As a result, a person develops constipation.
IBS can be classified as either diarrhea-predominant (IBS-D), constipation-predominant (IBS-C) or IBS with alternating stool pattern (IBS-A or pain-predominant[6]). In some individuals, IBS may have an acute onset and develop after an infectious illness characterised by two or more of the following: fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or positive stool culture. This post-infective syndrome has consequently been termed “post-infectious IBS” (IBS-PI).
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms
Like many people, you may have only mild signs and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Sometimes these problems can be disabling, however. In some cases, you may have severe signs and symptoms that don’t respond well to medical treatment. Because symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can be present with other diseases, it’s best to discuss these symptoms with your doctor.
Abdominal cramping and pain that are relieved after bowel movements
Alternating periods of diarrhea and constipation
Change in the stool frequency or consistency
Other symptoms sometimes occur and include: nausea (feeling sick), headache, belching, poor appetite, tiredness, backache, muscle pains, feeling quickly ‘full’ after eating, heartburn, and bladder symptoms (an associated ‘irritable bladder’).
How is IBS diagnosed?
Your doctor may start by asking you questions about your symptoms. If your symptoms have had a pattern over time, the pattern may make it clear to your doctor that IBS is the cause.
Medical history — The diagnosis of IBS begins with a comprehensive medical history. The medical history will include a discussion of the nature, duration, and severity of gastrointestinal and other symptoms. Sometimes a medical history reveals that dietary factors or drugs are actually causing a person’s symptoms. Clinicians routinely ask about past and present physical or sexual abuse and stress because these factors may have a role in IBS.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment
Treatment for IBS depends on the severity of the disease. It can often be controlled by changes in diet and stress management. Other cases warrant medication — over-the-counter or prescription. For some people IBS can be disabling and for others it is chronic and fluctuates in severity, disappearing temporarily or completely.
Alosetron hydrochloride (Lotronex) can be used for women with severe IBS who have not responded to conventional therapy and whose primary symptom is diarrhea. However, even in these patients, it should be used with caution because it can have serious side effects, such as severe constipation or decreased blood flow to the colon.
IBS is a non-life threatening illness. It does not progress or increase your risk of developing Inflammatory Bowel Disease or Cancer. Treatment focuses on the relief of symptoms so you can live your life as normally as possible.
By: peterhutch
About the Author:
Read About Tattoo Designs, Tattoo Magazine Also read about Home Remedies and Herbal Remedies, Natural Remedies
Irritable Bowel Syndrome – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
July 9, 2009 by Admin
Filed under IBS - Free Content
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a problem that affects the large intestine. It can cause abdominal cramping, bloating and a change in bowel habits. Some people with the disorder have constipation. Some have diarrhea. Some go back and forth between constipation and diarrhea. Although IBS can cause a great deal of discomfort, it does not harm the intestines.
What causes IBS?
Doctors are not sure what causes IBS. The nerves and muscles in the bowel appear to be extra sensitive in people with IBS. Muscles may contract too much when you eat. These contractions can cause cramping and diarrhea during or shortly after a meal. Or the nerves may react when the bowel stretches, causing cramping or pain.
The lining of the colon called the epithelium, which is affected by the immune and nervous systems, regulates the flow of fluids in and out of the colon. In IBS, the epithelium appears to work properly. However, when the contents inside the colon move too quickly, the colon loses its ability to absorb fluids. The result is too much fluid in the stool. In other people, the movement inside the colon is too slow, which causes extra fluid to be absorbed. As a result, a person develops constipation.
IBS can be classified as either diarrhea-predominant (IBS-D), constipation-predominant (IBS-C) or IBS with alternating stool pattern (IBS-A or pain-predominant[6]). In some individuals, IBS may have an acute onset and develop after an infectious illness characterised by two or more of the following: fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or positive stool culture. This post-infective syndrome has consequently been termed “post-infectious IBS” (IBS-PI).
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms
Like many people, you may have only mild signs and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Sometimes these problems can be disabling, however. In some cases, you may have severe signs and symptoms that don’t respond well to medical treatment. Because symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can be present with other diseases, it’s best to discuss these symptoms with your doctor.
Abdominal cramping and pain that are relieved after bowel movements
Alternating periods of diarrhea and constipation
Change in the stool frequency or consistency
Other symptoms sometimes occur and include: nausea (feeling sick), headache, belching, poor appetite, tiredness, backache, muscle pains, feeling quickly ‘full’ after eating, heartburn, and bladder symptoms (an associated ‘irritable bladder’).
How is IBS diagnosed?
Your doctor may start by asking you questions about your symptoms. If your symptoms have had a pattern over time, the pattern may make it clear to your doctor that IBS is the cause.
Medical history — The diagnosis of IBS begins with a comprehensive medical history. The medical history will include a discussion of the nature, duration, and severity of gastrointestinal and other symptoms. Sometimes a medical history reveals that dietary factors or drugs are actually causing a person’s symptoms. Clinicians routinely ask about past and present physical or sexual abuse and stress because these factors may have a role in IBS.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment
Treatment for IBS depends on the severity of the disease. It can often be controlled by changes in diet and stress management. Other cases warrant medication — over-the-counter or prescription. For some people IBS can be disabling and for others it is chronic and fluctuates in severity, disappearing temporarily or completely.
Alosetron hydrochloride (Lotronex) can be used for women with severe IBS who have not responded to conventional therapy and whose primary symptom is diarrhea. However, even in these patients, it should be used with caution because it can have serious side effects, such as severe constipation or decreased blood flow to the colon.
IBS is a non-life threatening illness. It does not progress or increase your risk of developing Inflammatory Bowel Disease or Cancer. Treatment focuses on the relief of symptoms so you can live your life as normally as possible.
By: peterhutch
About the Author:
Read About Tattoo Designs, Tattoo Magazine Also read about Home Remedies and Herbal Remedies, Natural Remedies
Is There An Irritable Bowel Syndrome Cure?
July 9, 2009 by Admin
Filed under IBS - Free Content
There are a number of recommended treatment approaches that greatly help reduce the symptoms. However, there is still no record of one that can completely eliminate the symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome.
Irritable bowel syndrome is not a disease, but a collaboration of symptoms. It is a functional bowel disorder, which means that there is no disease present, or illness, no damage to cells/ tissues and no abnormalities to the structure of the digestive system.
Treatments for irritable bowel syndrome aim to have the beneficial effects of improving or returning the dysfunction back to normal, including the gastrocolic reflux.
The gastrocolic reflex is an important element of the digestive process. As food enters the stomach, the reflex automatically prepares the colon and the small intestine to begin processing the food and transporting it though the digestive tract.
However, with irritable bowel syndrome, this mechanism is significantly impaired, which is why digested matter can “get blocked” causing constipation or being hastily transported along the intestines due to abnormal contractions causing diarrhea.
Continue reading to discover how you can sign up for our free irritable bowel newsletter and find out how to naturally relieve IBS symptoms.
The truth is, since the condition is a syndrome or grouping of symptoms and not a disease, there is no cure for it. The best approach, and one that has been successful for many, is to alleviate the associated symptoms and to reduce the factors that increase the risk of the symptoms returning, and so allow for normal digestive processes to occur.
Treatment should also aim to reduce impact the impact of adverse reactions, lessen intervals between relapses and return the affected person to as close to normal intestinal heath as possible.
Since there is no structural abnormality with this chronic gastrointestinal disorder, surgery is unlikely to treat any dysfunction or correct the gastrocolic reflex. Also, although some medications have been shown to be effective at soothing symptoms, as the cause of IBS is unknown, the main cause of IBS cannot be treated by medication (although some trigger conditions can be parasite infestation).
The best medication approach would be those that aim to reduce the ill effects of pain, cramping, flatulence, diarrhea and constipation. Some individuals may experience a long pause between bouts of IBS, and if this is the case then the actions before and during this pause should be reviewed to identify any specific conditions or actions that relieved the symptoms for the period.
Although there is not an Irritable bowel syndrome cure, Gastroenterologists are still investigating the exact cause of the intestinal abnormality, but at the moment there is still a wide array of possible sources. It is important that any interventions are individualized as each person’s IBS symptoms are unique, and the trigger factors need to be addressed individually.
By: Susan Reynolds
About the Author:
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome
June 30, 2009 by Admin
Filed under Irritable Bowel Syndrome
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is such a nebulous condition it can be difficult to identify as a distinct illness at all. The most common symptoms are abdominal cramping, bloating and gas, and diarrhea or constipation. With such normal signs as that – which can occur with dozens of other, more serious conditions – it can be hard to diagnose IBS.
Yet, physicians and researchers regard this syndrome as among the most common disorders and often distinguish it as much by what it is not, or by the absence of signs of other diseases. Unlike more serious ailments, like Crohn’s or colitis for example, IBS does not produce inflammation of the colon. Neither does it increase the odds of colorectal cancer, as those diseases can.
Because the symptoms themselves are so varied – indeed sometimes contradictory, such as alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea – it is difficult to narrow down the presence of IBS. However, it is a chronic condition – occasional cramping or gas is completely normal and doesn’t merit a special name – and so it receives a specific tag.
As semi-digested food (called “chyme”) moves into the colon, where water is extracted and helpful bacteria create vitamins B and K, the intestinal muscles contract to keep it going. We’re normally not aware of that contraction, called peristalsis. In IBS, those contractions can be spasmodic and stronger than normal, causing food to move too quickly or too slowly. The first often leads to diarrhea, the second to constipation.
There is research to suggest that some individuals are hypersensitive to that movement. They sense more clearly the stretching of the bowel produced by gas or bloating. That can lead to stress that tends to amplify the ill effects. Since women are more prone to IBS, some studies believe that hormones play a role, as well, particularly since symptoms often worsen during the menstrual period.
Since diet plays a role – some experience IBS after consuming chocolate, milk, or alcohol – it is possible to modify the symptoms in some cases. Reducing intake is an obvious method, but diet alterations help, too. Eating yogurt, for example, which contains organisms that break down lactose sugars, can help counter the effects of drinking milk for those who are lactose intolerant.
Controlling stress is often more difficult than simply an act of will. Education and counseling can provide techniques to reduce the anxiety and feeling of being overwhelmed that are typical of the condition. That often leads to a reduction or even elimination of the symptoms of IBS.
Nearly one in five American adults are believed to suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome yet, because it is so easy to confuse with normal stomach upsets, fewer than half seek professional diagnosis and treatment. The condition itself is not particularly serious and certainly not life threatening. But the overlap in many of the symptoms warrant a visit to the physician if they persist. That will help individuals discover if a more serious underlying condition is at fault.
