Bowel Disorder - Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Bowel Disorder - Irritable Bowel Syndrome

In 2007, I was diagnosed of having Irritable Bowel Syndrome through a colonoscopy procedure. Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic pain, discomfort, bloating and alteration of bowel habits without any symptoms or organic cause.

In most medical studies, irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder between the interactions of the brain from the gastrointestinal tract. Studies suggests that abnormalities in the gut flora and weak immune system can also be one of the factors.

Major cause if IBS is still unknown but medical experts conclude that gastrointestinal infections is the number one symptom of having IBS. Other factors includes prolonged fever, depression, anxiety and young age.

My doctor said that there is nothing to be concerned about because IBS is really not life threatening and can occur to anyone. An individual can suffer from this disorder from certain issues such as stressful lifestyle, improper diet, infections or can occur without any medical symptoms or indicators. Furthermore, irritable bowel syndrome doesn't lead to a more serious disease.

There are no available treatment for irritable bowel syndrome as this kind of disease will eventually disappear. But there are ways on how to relieve its symptoms. This includes changes in your diet, medication or psychological treatment and a regular consultation with your physician.

Irritable bowel syndrome however could be related to other possible physical conditions. Conditions such as fructose mal-absorption, mild and parasitic infections, abdominal pain, celiac disease, weak immune system and many others are the probable cause of having IBS.

So how to manage IBS? Below are some of the simple tips to prevent and treat irritable bowel syndrome.

Fiber. Soluble fiber is a very important element in solving the mystery puzzle of irritable bowel syndrome. It has been studied that soluble fiber intake daily will reduce the IBS symptoms by 50%.

Diet. Lactose free diet has been proven to help lessen the symptoms of IBS.

Medication. Anti-diarrheals, stool softeners and laxatives are good for constipation-predominant and diarrhea-predominant IBS.

Tricyclic Antidepressants. Its been studied that low dosage of tricyclic antidepressants are effective in treating irritable bowel syndrome.

Psychotherapy. Mind-body interaction have been suggested for irritable bowel syndrome. Studies revealed that psychological therapies are much more effective to treat IBS than any other medications. Cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnosis have been studied to be the most effective way to improve IBS condition.

Irritable bowel syndrome is not a real threat to our health. However, you must still have to consult your doctor on why you have IBS. It could be from many factors and proper guidance from a physician is still the best advise you can get. Hope this article helps you learn more about irritable bowel syndrome.

For more news and information on health and wellness, please make sure to visit www.healthtalkbuzz.com/.

Take Action Today!

Support Health Talk! If you like this article, then please consider subscribing to my RSS feed for every updates regarding health and wellness. You may also give your support by citing www.healthtalkbuzz.com in your website or blog with a clickable link. Please use the code below for linking details.