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:
Should I consider Colon Irrigation – Pros and Cons
Colon cleansing, irrigation, colon hydrotherapy… there are many names for the procedure. They all come down to the same thing. A fluid is introduced into the colon through the anus in order to flush out the large intestine. Advocates sometimes claim it’s among the most healthful procedures around. Critics disagree, some saying it’s positively harmful. What does research say?
The practice has been researched for decades and the general consensus is that colonics have few or none of the health benefits claimed. Whether it does actual harm depends, not surprisingly, on personal circumstances, including how the procedure is carried out.
In the usual setting, a person dons a loose fitting, hospital-style gown and lies on a table. A therapist then opens the anus with a disposable speculum and inserts a plastic tube. Fluid, sometimes purified water, other times water with salts or other compounds, is put gently up through the rectum and into the colon. The resulting mixture then drains out through the tube and is disposed of hygienically.
Even following best practices, though, there is little scientific evidence for the claims some advocates make. Colons very rarely become impacted with feces and normal digestive processes do a very good job of eliminating waste material. When that process breaks down it is the result of disease that is not caused by the impaction nor cured by a colon hydrotherapy.
The basic hypothesis on which the practice is based is equally faulty. Studies do not support the notion that ‘toxins’ are retained by or build up in the large intestine that can only be removed by colon hydrotherapy. The body has several natural mechanisms for preventing that, or curing it if it were to happen.
Of course, intestinal diseases do occur – ranging from Crohn’s disease to colorectal cancer. But the presence of these conditions disqualifies a person from being a candidate for irrigation anyway. No reputable therapist will knowingly give such a person a colonic.
Still, done properly, it is a very low risk procedure and many experience benefits. Those benefits may be chiefly psychological (a result of ‘feeling clean’) but they are no less real for all that. Extreme care is warranted, however. An improperly performed colonic can do harm even when it doesn’t actually rupture anything.
Clearly, the digestive system has evolved to work normally as a one-way process. Introducing water up through the anus can flush out some material, but it is material that would have come out anyway. It is also not a proper treatment for intestinal parasites, as some practitioners of alternative medicine claim.
Some individuals who undergo the procedure can experience abdominal discomfort, or even nausea, for several hours afterward. In rare cases, it’s possible to cause kidney damage if, for example, a laxative like sodium phosphate is used in the irrigating fluid.
Like any therapeutic procedure, it’s always advisable to check with your physician beforehand. Then, be guided by professional medical advice, not the claims of some Internet article… including this one.
All About Colitis
Colitis refers to any condition which results in an inflamed colon. There is Ischemic colitis, Crohn’s, even chemically induced colitis (often as a result of medications), and many more. Still, the word is frequently used as a shorthand phrase for ulcerative colitis, one of the more common types of inflammatory bowel disease, as the category is known.
There are both similarities and differences with Crohn’s disease, which it resembles. Crohn’s often exists in isolated spots within the intestine. Ulcerative colitis tends to occur in continuous sections. UC also affects the innermost lining of the large intestine. Crohn’s begins at another layer.
Symptoms of ulcerative colitis include rectal inflammation and sometimes bleeding (when it occurs in the last six inches of the large intestine). Pancolitis, by contrast, affects the entire length of the colon and produces bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps. It may also include excessive and unusual weight loss, fatigue, and night sweats.
Colitis, particularly the ulcerative variety, can be a serious condition leading to even more serious complications. Toxic megacolon, for example, produces a paralyzed colon that prevents eliminating gas or having bowel movements. Waste material that isn’t removed can cause the colon to rupture, introducing toxins into the bloodstream and causing peritonitis, just to name two possibilities.
Such an event requires emergency surgery, but even less severe though still serious secondary effects are not uncommon. A perforated colon, severe dehydration, liver disease, or inflammation of the skin or joints are only a few of the possibilities. While it doesn’t cause colon cancer directly, IBD increases the odds somewhat, with the risk rising the longer the condition persists. Even so, only about 10 percent of IBD sufferers go on to contract colon cancer.
Like its ‘cousin’, Crohn’s, the disease produces ulcers in the colon, which account for many of the symptoms listed. Also like that other condition, the cause(s) of the disease are not well understood. Some studies suggest that a bacterium or virus is the culprit and that the disease occurs when the immune system overreacts to fighting it.
Like Crohn’s, heredity plays a large role in who is likely to acquire the disease. The risk is much higher for those with a close relative affected by the condition. Also like Crohn’s, in contrast to many diseases, it tends more often to occur among younger individuals, generally in their 30s.
There are several diagnostic procedures for determining whether any IBD is present. Blood tests check for anemia or signs of infection. A colonoscopy – a procedure that uses a lighted tube inserted into the colon through the rectum – allows a direct inspection of the surface. It also may be used to capture tissue samples that can be analyzed later. Those samples can, for example, be checked for granulomas, which occur in Crohn’s but not ulcerative colitis. X-ray diagnosis is also used, with the patient typically consuming or being flushed with a barium compound to make diseased areas visible.
Treatments range from drug therapy to surgery to removing ulcerated tissue – sometimes in spots, other times in entire sections. Anti-inflammatory drugs like Sulfasalazine or Mesalamine are effective for treatment of symptoms, though they often have undesirable side effects. Corticosteroids may be prescribed for short periods.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome and its Effects on Cats
June 19, 2009 by Admin
Filed under IBS - Free Content
The Irritable Bowel Syndrome among cats is the same gastrointestinal disorder that is also felt by human. The large and/or small intestines are also affected. IBS in cats usually affects the contractions of the digestive tract resulting to irregular bowel movement. Aside from that, IBS also interferes with the normal distribution of food and waste material inside the cat’s body resulting to the accumulation of toxins and mucus in the cat’s intestines.
These accumulated toxins often obstruct the normal function of the digestive tract. In the process gas and stool are trapped causing bloating, constipation and distention. It is also surprising to note that the same IBS factors in human have been identified to cause the same effects among cats. Factors causing IBS such as stress, overuse of antibiotics, poor eating habits, bacterial, and viral infection, parasites and food allergies were found to affect cats as well.
Likewise, a blockage is also very common among cats since they love to chew as well as swallow objects. This too can trigger IBS symptoms.
Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Cats
It would be surprising to note that cats and humans exhibit the same Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. And here are some of them:
- Constipation among cats is just like in humans. It is also exhibited by hard, small, pebble-like stools, which make bowel movement very difficult.
- Diarrhea is a more frequent bowel movement wherein the stool is often soft and watery. Cats with IBS usually experience successive loose bowel movement alternating with constipation.
- Abdominal pain is also common among cats with IBS. The pain can range from mild to severe.
- The presence of mucus in the stool is also a common sign of IBS.
- Another symptom of IBS that may be observed in cats is vomiting and nausea.
- Gas pain or flatulence is also an indication of IBS in cats
- Bloating
- Intolerance to certain types of foods
- Anorexia which most of you may think is only common to us human but surprisingly is also exhibited by our feline friends.
Treating Your Cat’s Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Since Irritable Bowel Syndrome involves many factors, it is very important that you have your cats examined by a veterinarian. This way you will know what’s triggering IBS symptoms in your pet cats. In case you prefer to apply natural methods in controlling your pet’s IBS symptoms still it is better to consult first a veterinarian before applying any type of IBS treatment to your cat to avoid further complications.
A change in your cat’s diet is also a good way to control Irritable Bowel syndrome. However make sure that you consult a veterinarian or a nutritionist to provide your cat with a personalized diet and program.
Feeding your cat with the right type of food is still the best way to control your cat’s Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Cats like humans prefer different types of foods. There are some cats that like eating raw food while there are some that prefers home cooking or canned food.
It is very important that you try to experiment with foods that work for your cat. If you can keep a food journal in which you can jot down foods that your cat needs to avoid then so much the better. This will guide you on the proper food to give your cat and in turn keeps IBS symptoms in control.
By: Low Jeremy
About the Author:
Low Jeremy provides more free and extremely helpful information on Irritable Bowel Syndrome like irritable bowel syndrome treatment.
Visit simplyhealthy.org for more info.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome and its Effects on Cats
June 16, 2009 by Admin
Filed under IBS - Free Content
The Irritable Bowel Syndrome among cats is the same gastrointestinal disorder that is also felt by human. The large and/or small intestines are also affected. IBS in cats usually affects the contractions of the digestive tract resulting to irregular bowel movement. Aside from that, IBS also interferes with the normal distribution of food and waste material inside the cat’s body resulting to the accumulation of toxins and mucus in the cat’s intestines.
These accumulated toxins often obstruct the normal function of the digestive tract. In the process gas and stool are trapped causing bloating, constipation and distention. It is also surprising to note that the same IBS factors in human have been identified to cause the same effects among cats. Factors causing IBS such as stress, overuse of antibiotics, poor eating habits, bacterial, and viral infection, parasites and food allergies were found to affect cats as well.
Likewise, a blockage is also very common among cats since they love to chew as well as swallow objects. This too can trigger IBS symptoms.
Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Cats
It would be surprising to note that cats and humans exhibit the same Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. And here are some of them:
- Constipation among cats is just like in humans. It is also exhibited by hard, small, pebble-like stools, which make bowel movement very difficult.
- Diarrhea is a more frequent bowel movement wherein the stool is often soft and watery. Cats with IBS usually experience successive loose bowel movement alternating with constipation.
- Abdominal pain is also common among cats with IBS. The pain can range from mild to severe.
- The presence of mucus in the stool is also a common sign of IBS.
- Another symptom of IBS that may be observed in cats is vomiting and nausea.
- Gas pain or flatulence is also an indication of IBS in cats
- Bloating
- Intolerance to certain types of foods
- Anorexia which most of you may think is only common to us human but surprisingly is also exhibited by our feline friends.
Treating Your Cat’s Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Since Irritable Bowel Syndrome involves many factors, it is very important that you have your cats examined by a veterinarian. This way you will know what’s triggering IBS symptoms in your pet cats. In case you prefer to apply natural methods in controlling your pet’s IBS symptoms still it is better to consult first a veterinarian before applying any type of IBS treatment to your cat to avoid further complications.
A change in your cat’s diet is also a good way to control Irritable Bowel syndrome. However make sure that you consult a veterinarian or a nutritionist to provide your cat with a personalized diet and program.
Feeding your cat with the right type of food is still the best way to control your cat’s Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Cats like humans prefer different types of foods. There are some cats that like eating raw food while there are some that prefers home cooking or canned food.
It is very important that you try to experiment with foods that work for your cat. If you can keep a food journal in which you can jot down foods that your cat needs to avoid then so much the better. This will guide you on the proper food to give your cat and in turn keeps IBS symptoms in control.
By: Low Jeremy
About the Author:
Low Jeremy provides more free and extremely helpful information on Irritable Bowel Syndrome like irritable bowel syndrome treatment.
Visit simplyhealthy.org for more info.
