Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms
When the symptoms of irritable bowel first start affecting you, feeling confused is what you may feel as to just what is wrong. Maybe you are aware that you are facing some kind of digestive troubles, so read this article to get some information about what is exactly going on.
Typical symptoms of IBS are gas, bloating, abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea. These can vary from person to person as to what symptoms are presenting themselves at the time, and also the severity of the symptoms.
Even though IBS is one of the most common digestive disorders, it is difficult to treat with conventional medicine. The prescription medicines commonly prescribed are not really intended to be a long term solution and can also cause side effects which are not pleasant.
Do you have these irritable bowel syndrome symptoms?
Constipation
Diarrhea
Adominal pain or cramping
Gas
Bloating
Change in frequency of stools
Change in appearance of stools
Bowel movements bring relief
Uncomfortably full feeling, even nausea
These are the most commons symptoms, yet each IBS sufferer may not experience all of them.
You may have problems more with constipation than diarrhea, for example, or even go back and forth between them. The severity of the symptoms can differ from mild to severe.
Another thing that commonly affects those with irritable bowel is that it often comes in cycles. There may be periods when all seems ok, then all of a sudden you are ridden with IBS symptoms.
Having an understanding of the symptoms can help you identify the problem.
To be sure of whether or not you actually have IBS,there is a test your physician can run called the Rome lll criteria to determine for sure if you have irritable bowel syndrome.
One of the worst problems that you have to deal with is the embarrassment factor. Not knowing how your bowels are going to react can restrict your activities. It can even cause problems at work, and going out to eat can be very traumatic if your mind is on whether or not you will have to run to the bathroom.
There are quite a few recommendations you can follow that will bring you relief and even eliminate your irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. Simple dietary changes, stress management, biofeedback and exercise can all have beneficial results.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is not a disease, but a common functional disorder that indicates the incorrect functioning of the bowel, affecting the large intestine colon. IBS is a syndrome, meaning a group of symptoms, which are usually mixed. Therefore, IBS is generally diagnosed on the basis of a complete medical history that includes a careful description of symptoms and a physical examination.
The most typical symptoms of IBS include abdominal pain or discomfort in the abdomen associated with cramping, bloating, intestinal gas, diarrhea, and/or constipation, which means hard, difficult-to-pass, or infrequent bowel movements. Certain symptoms must also be present, such as a change in frequency of bowel movements a change in appearance of bowel movements feelings of uncontrollable urgency to have a bowel movement difficulty or inability to pass stool mucus in the stool bloating.
Specific symptoms, called the Rome criteria, is usually used to more accurately determine this diagnosis.
For every person who suffers from IBS, the pattern of bowel movements may vary. Sometimes people notice that their symptoms subside for a few months and then return, while others report a constant worsening of symptoms over time.
Sometimes other health problems can cause the same symptoms as you experience with IBS, therefore it is recommended to do medical tests to make sure you don’t have any other health disorders.
In any case, when some problems arise, you need to consult your doctor, who can give you the best treatments for your particular symptoms and encourage you to manage stress and make changes to your diet. Medications are an important part of relieving symptoms, but in most cases, it is possible to control IBS by managing just diet and lifestyle. It is important to find out which foods cause problems and have a diary that shows what you eat during the day and which symptoms you experience after, so you can see what foods exactly occur the symptoms and what makes you sick. The right nutrition for patients with IBS should not include such products as fatty foods, like french fries milk products, like cheese or ice cream chocolate alcohol caffeinated drinks, like coffee and some sodas carbonated drinks, like soda.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for IBS, as a lot about the disorder remains unknown or poorly understood; however, as it was mentioned above, dietary changes, drugs, and psychological treatment are often able to eliminate or substantially reduce its symptoms.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome – Diarrhea
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a malady that affects millions of Americans every year, causing countless amounts of suffering, pain, and torment through chronic symptoms that never seem to go away. What’s worse about this condition is that there is no cure, only courses of treatment that alleviate but do not eliminate the symptoms that cause so much discomfort. While it is true that IBS is not as serious as other gastro-intestinal diseases, it is still serious enough to warrant an article such as this. To better inform you about its effects, I will explain irritable bowel syndrome diarrhea and ways you can help to limit this condition – and have a better life in the process.
What is IBS?
As mentioned above, IBS is a condition that targets and affects the gastro-intestinal system – or, the network of organs that help you digest and process food.
These organs include the esophagus, the stomach, the small intestine, the large intestine, and the colon. Problems with this system can result in lowered nutrition, decreased health, and serious complications that can drastically lower the quality of life you experience. No one is really sure as to what the causes of IBS are. One possible explanation is that IBS is just a collection of symptoms caused by bacterial infection, or a viral pathogen. Parasitic infection may also be a cause. Other reasons given include poor immune systems (usually because of infections), poor nutrition, and other, more serious disorders like Crohn’s disease or inflammatory bowel disease. No matter what the causes, however, it is clear that IBS results in chronic pain, abdominal inflammation, constipation, and, of course, diarrhea.
What about Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Diarrhea?
Few symptoms of IBS are as annoying and discomforting as irritable bowel syndrome diarrhea, not only because of the inconvenience it affords, but the social stigma that can be associated with it.
Diarrhea in general is typically the way the body deals with extreme imbalances in the gastro-intestinal system. In this way, repeated and frequent watery stools and discharge is a method by which the body responds to the disorders or afflictions that mess with how the GI system operates. Normally food is digested and processed without much difficulty; with diarrhea, the imbalance results in frequent trips to the bathroom that results in the aforementioned watery stool. Diarrhea is dangerous because it can dehydrate someone rapidly. Needless to say, irritable bowel syndrome diarrhea can be bothersome as well as problematic.
How Do You Treat This?
The most effective way to treat irritable bowel syndrome diarrhea is to increase one’s intake of fluids. You should drink plenty of water – at least four glasses a day – if you have IBS, because this syndrome dehydrates your body and causes stress that you don’t need. You’ll get most of your water intake daily from what you eat, but if you have IBS then you’ll need to consume a little more. Do not drink more than 12 liters a day, though; that could send you into shock. Just try and drink a bottle of water every two to three hours and you’ll be fine. If your diarrhea doesn’t get any better, over-the-counter medications such as Imodium can go a long way in helping you out.