Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is common, affecting 20 percent of Americans. No one knows exactly. . .

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what causes it and there is no way for a doctor to make a definitive diagnosis, says nutritionist Joy Bauer, the author of Food Cures.

“. . . arriving at a diagnosis of IBS is lengthy and full of guesswork. Your doctor will want to rule out all other possible disorders through a physical examination, blood test, ultrasound, x-ray of your bowels, and sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy, in which a lighted flexible tube is inserted into your intestines to get an upclose and personal look at your intestinal lining. If there are no other problems, it’s IBS by default. . ., ” the author says further.

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME: Causes and Symptoms

IBS symptoms include diarrhea or constipation, cramping, bloating, excess gas, and mucus in the stool. Don’t assume that your symptoms are due to IBS unless your doctor has told you so. You need to get a thorough medical workup to rule out other, more serious diseases, including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease and colorectal cancer. An individual with Irritable Bowel Syndrome might experience just a few of these symptoms, or all of them.

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All though most sufferers have either diarrhea-predominant IBS or constipation-predominant IBS, some people alternate between diarrhea and constipation. No matter what type of IBS you have, the underlying problem is that the rhythm of intestinal muscle contractions periodically get messed up. We don’t know what disrupts the workings of the intestines in the first place, but we do know what can trigger flares of the disorder. Food is a biggie. . .

Aside from food and eating issues, the only other significant IBS trigger is stress. Stress can trigger a flare of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and it can make food-triggered IBS symptoms worse. That’s why many health experts recommend that people suffering from IBS actively explore a variety of ways to de-stress…

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME TREATMENT

According to Mayo Clinic: “Because it’s not clear what causes irritable bowel syndrome, treatment focuses on the relief of symptoms so that you can live your life as normally as possible.

In most cases, you can successfully control mild signs and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome by learning to manage stress and making changes in your diet and lifestyle. But if your problems are moderate or severe, you may need more than lifestyle changes alone can offer.” You need to talk to your doctor for his suggestion.

Read next. . . IBS Trigger Foods

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Source: Excerpts taken from Joy Bauer’s Food Cures, p. 391-393, 398