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Symptoms Of IBS by Susan Reynolds

IBS is a disorder affecting approximately 20% of the population. In its mildest cases, IBS can frustrate patients and cause anxiety. In severe cases, it can totally affect a patient's life, limiting their activities, causing them to quit their jobs, and prompting a reclusive lifestyle.

Irritable bowel syndrome is not a disease. In fact, although the problem occurs in the patient's intestine, there is no obvious reason for the disorder. Affected patients have not suffered damage to the intestine and have no apparent intestinal abnormalities. This is the key reason why doctors have yet to identify a true cause for the disorder.

Many people think that IBS is synonymous with diarrhea. While some IBS patients do exhibit diarrhea, this is not the only symptom of IBS. This disorder is often accompanied by other bothersome issues like pain and discomfort in the abdomen, retention of water, and changes in bowel movements. Those changes can come in either the form of diarrhea or constipation. Some patients alternate between the two. The severity of a patient's symptoms dictates how much their lives are affected. From missing school, work, or staying at home for fear of IBS episodes, it is easy to see why IBS is such a serious disorder for the patients it affects.

The first type of IBS is IBS-A. Patients suffering from IBS-A do not have consistent symptoms. In fact, on some days, an IBS-A patient may suffer from bloating and constipation. On other days, that same patient will suffer from diarrhea.

Unlike IBS-A, IBS-C patients are usually constipated. They suffer from a bloated feeling and often stomach pains. The main characteristic of this type of IBS is that the patient is often constipated. Patients usually experience these symptoms at least twelve weeks a year. Different from chronic constipation, this is truly a painful disorder.

Then there's IBS-D. Patients with IBS-D suffer from diarrhea. When they become particularly nervous or upset, it can spark an IBS episode. By the same token, an IBS-D patient may find that certain foods bring on these episodes. Depending on the severity of the disorder, patients can truly be devastated by this type of the disorder. More common in men than women, often patients have a fear of eating out in restaurants since they often feel the affects of the food immediately via irrepressible diarrhea.

If you are exhibiting any of the symptoms of IBS, it is important to seek medical attention for proper diagnosis. A doctor can't immediately label you as an IBS patient since there is no clear-cut evidence of the disorder to be found. Through a series of tests, a thorough examination of your history of symptoms, and the ruling out of other conditions, a doctor can then make a diagnosis. With technology and pharmaceutical aids advancing each year, there are more options than ever for patients suffering from IBS. Talk to your doctor about ways you can take control of IBS so it doesn't control your life.

About the Author

Susan Reynolds has an interest in IBS. For further information on IBS please visit http://www.natural-irritable-bowel-syndrome-relief.com/ibs.html or http://www.natural-irritable-bowel-syndrome-relief.com/blog/2006/09/01/symptoms-of-ibs/ .

Overview Of IBS by Susan Reynolds

For the many Americans who suffer from IBS, Irritable bowel syndrome isn't just a problem. It's a way of life. IBS refers to a condition that is characterized by the large intestine not operating in the way that it should. Not really a disease, IBS is a disorder. The interesting thing to note is that patients who suffer from IBS exhibit no abnormalities in their intestine nor have they sustained intestinal damage. That is the real mystery of the disorder.

For this reason, no clear-cut cause for IBS has ever been established. There are some observations and theories on the subject. One thing that experts do note is the fact that IBS appears to include both sensitivity and muscle spasms in the large intestine. Because of this, gas and stool move quickly through the small and large intestines. Patients suffering from IBS may notice that this condition escalates when they are suffering from great amounts of stress. When life is going smoothly, and patients are at ease, the symptoms often fade tremendously.

Patients suffering from IBS have to endure a variety of symptoms. Among these are bloating, diarrhea, sometimes constipation, lower stomach pain, and cramping. The pain that comes along with IBS isn't a constant pain. It can disappear for days or weeks even. The pain often goes away after a patient has a bowel movement.

If you are suffering from IBS, the muscles and nerves that reside in your large intestine have strong responses to outside factors such as stress. Certain foods that don't bother most people can spark stomach muscle contractions that lead to diarrhea when the food is sped through your digestive track.

An extremely common disorder, IBS affects about one in every five Americans over the age of twenty. Because of the embarrassing nature of the disorder, many people do not seek medical attention for this problem.

Depending on the severity of your disorder, it can range from annoying to life-altering. In severe cases, it can cause people to be unable to leave the house, maintain a job, or lead an active life. For this reason, it's important to seek medical attention, garner a diagnosis, and discuss treatment options.

IBS differs from other irritable bowel disorders, especially in the fact that there are no abnormalities in the intestines and no apparent cause for the episodes. A doctor makes the diagnosis mostly by evaluating your symptoms and ruling out all other possibilities. Your doctor will more than likely order a series of tests to ensure that you do not suffer from another type of irritable bowel disorder or even a more serious condition.

If you are one of the millions of Americans who suffers from IBS, take comfort in the knowledge that you are not alone. With around 20% of the population suffering from this disorder, it is nothing to be ashamed of. Talk to your doctor about methods of coping with this disorder. Don't let IBS control your life. Many patients lead normal, rich, complete lives.

About the Author

Susan Reynolds has an interest in IBS. For further information on IBS please visit http://www.natural-irritable-bowel-syndrome-relief.com/ibs.html or http://natural-irritable-bowel-syndrome-relief.com/blog/2006/08/26/overview-of-ibs/ .

Crohn's? IBS? Colitis? Acid Reflux? Try Holistic Medicine by Crohn's Survivor

Do you have gastrointestinal problems such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Colitis, Crohns Disease, Acid Reflux Disease, among many others? Are you sick (literally) and tired of going from doctor to doctor only to be handed a prescription slip and pushed out the door? Do you enjoy the many side effects these prescriptions cause? Are you looking for a solution to the problem instead of covering it up with drugs, or removing it with surgery? Then try holistic medicine.

I am very happy to see our nation slowly catching on to the idea that natural medicine is the better way to go. It angers me however that insurance companies (who we pay premiums to) do not give us the choice to choose what path we want to take to heal ourselves. Holistic medicine is not cheap because there are very few insurance companies that cover your office visits, and none that I am aware that assists with nutritional supplements used by holistic doctors. Now don't get me wrong, modern medicine has its place in this world, and heaven knows all the good it has done for mankind, but there is a limit to how far it should go in the treatment of health conditions. Modern medicine knows next to nothing about the digestive system and how to fix it when it is in duress. Just ask any person suffering from any of the conditions listed above. The old saying of you don't have anything if you don't have your health is a very true statement.

I suffered with Crohn's Disease for 5 years before I started going to a holistic doctor. I went through 2 colonoscopies, and visited 3 different gastroenterologists. The first doctor performed my first colonoscopy, and found a mass of tissue close to my ileocecal valve. The tissue biopsy that he took came back negative for cancer (thank the Lord), but they could not tell what the tissue was. He referred me to another gastroenterologist who on my first visit, told me flat out that all he wanted to do was cut me open and remove the mass so he could try to figure out what it was. Needless to say my wife and I left his office never to return! Only later did we find out that he was a surgical gastroenterologist, so that's all he knew how to do was cut people open and remove their insides (comforting I know). The third doctor I visited was a medical gastroenterologist. He also wanted to perform a colonoscopy, and found more tissue masses etc. When I asked him what caused my condition, he said that medical science does not know what causes these kinds of conditions, but knows how to control them somewhat. He wrote me a prescription for a steroid medication, and sent me out the door.

Thus began my crusade to figure out what was going on with my body and why. I never did take any of that steroid medication that last doctor prescribed me, because I had enough sense to get online and start researching what it was he was wanting me to take and what it did. The drug is an immune suppressant. You see people with digestive problems often times have an over active immune system, thus triggering inflammation throughout the digestive system. The steroid suppresses the immune function to reduce inflammation. It does nothing to get rid of what is causing the inflammation, just masking the effects.

To fully understand how the body gets afflicted with these digestive problems you need to understand how the digestive system works in conjunction with the rest of your body. The digestive tract has been called the body's second brain because there are more nerve endings in the digestive tract than the brain itself. Think about what the digestive system does for you....it is the extracts of all vitamins, minerals, and other materials your body needs to function from the foods you eat. Without it were dead! New research indicates that most diseases of the body are a result of a failure somewhere in the digestive system. So if you are afflicted with a serious digestive problem, and you take a drug that masks the problem instead of fixing (and has the potential of serious side effects which include may other diseases), sure you symptoms may subside for a while, but in the meantime your condition will worsen or spread!

Finally I decided to go to a holistic doctor. It was the smartest thing I have ever done for my health! My doctor knew more on how the body works, and all the organic compounds it uses and more specifically what organs used them, than any medical doctor I have ever been to! I was on my way to recovery after my first visit. I had a plan on how to recover my health. It wasn't a prescription for some drug that he gets kickbacks from the drug companies for prescribing, it was a professionally planned regiment of natural compounds that would kill parasitic infections, reduce my inflammation, assist in digestion of foods, and nourish my body with the critical vitamins and minerals I was seriously lacking. Yes it took me well over a year to get myself back to normal. You have to take into account the fact that I had been living with several parasites in my digestive system for several years to get to the point I was at, so there is no way I would heal overnight. You know its funny how over the years all my doctors told me that I had IBS, and that I needed to eat more fiber. If only I had known about holistic medicine back then! Sure holistic medicine is expensive, but can you truly put a price on your health and well being? I sure can't, it has been worth every penny.

Do your research! No matter where you go and what you do, there is always going to be someone with a horror story about a holistic doctor, or even a modern medicine MD. It's just unavoidable, people make mistakes every day. All I can say is this: do your research! Find a holistic doctor that is highly recommended, Answer any of their questions with total honesty, stick to the regiments they give you (to the T) and always be a well informed patient! If the doctor you go to makes you uncomfortable, don't go back! Find someone you are comfortable with. Trust your instincts! Your reading this aren't you? Your instincts have brought you this far, searching for answers a medical doctor could not give you. Keep going! Keep digging! You deserve to feel normal again!

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About the Author

After suffering with Crohn's disease for 5 years, I finally trusted my instincts that there was something very wrong with modern medicines approach to digestive disorders, and used a holistic approach to heal myself. No scars from surgery, and no side effects from dangerous drugs!

Fiber and IBS by Elizabeth Radisson

If you suffer from IBS, you have probably heard about fiber and its effects on Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Eating a sufficient amount of fiber is one of the major ways to help prevent IBS. By being aware of both the health benefits of fiber and how it affects your symptoms, you can use fiber effectively to ease the discomforts of IBS. There are different types of fiber, each with their own characteristics to help with your symptoms. Fiber is primarily found in whole grains. Bread, spaghetti and other whole-wheat products are high in fiber to help your digestive system. In addition, most fruits and vegetables will help to increase the fiber in your diet. High fiber foods are known have a direct impact on Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the digestive tract. Sometimes, IBS is an indicator that your diet is not high enough in fiber.

One type of fiber is soluble fiber. Soluble fiber soothes the digestive tract, and helps to prevent both diarrhea and constipation--the two faces of IBS. Soluble fiber is typically found in starchy foods such as:

* rice

* pasta

* oatmeal

* potatoes

* sweet potatoes

* mushrooms

* bananas

* applesauce

Soluble fiber is able to dissolve in liquid, including the water you drink with your meal. This water absorption allows the fiber to move easily and quickly through the digestive tract. Drinking plenty of water with your meals will help soluble fiber to be most effective.

The other type of fiber is insoluble fibers. Insoluble fiber is typically found in the cellulose of certain foods. Seeds, root vegetables, cabbage, wheat bran and corn bran also contain high amounts of insoluble fibers. While insoluble fiber is a key part of a healthy diet, those with IBS should be careful to avoid insoluble fiber on an empty stomach as this can exacerbate your symptoms.

During an IBS attack, you may find that consuming additional fiber will help to relax your digestive system, and return you to normal. You may want to consider a fiber supplement, such as Metamucil or Fibercon, to relieve your symptoms.

As you begin to increase your fiber intake, be aware that your body has its limitations. If you are not accustomed to a high-fiber diet, be sure to introduce fiber slowly. This will give your body a chance to get used to processing the fiber. Over time, your body will adjust, and you will be able to increase your daily fiber intake.

Fiber is part of a healthy, balanced diet, and it is even more important for those suffering from IBS. It can help to reduce the symptoms, and even prevent them. The recommended minimum fiber intake is 25-33 grams per day--more is certainly better.

About the Author

About the Author: Elizabeth Radisson has been living with irritable bowel syndrome for twenty years. She is a contributing author and editor of http://IBS.OurGoodHealth.org, where you can find information on IBS treatment, causes and symptoms.

IBS Diet Recommendations by Patsy Hamilton

You can design your own unique IBS diet by keeping a food and symptoms diary. There are some common diets that include recommendations about what to avoid when it comes to food for IBS relief. But, these can only go so far. Some people are sensitive to wheat products while others are sensitive to dairy. And still others are sensitive to fructose and sugar substitutes. In order to keep restrictions to a minimum and still control symptoms, it typically works best to design an IBS diet, based on individual preferences and sensitivities.

Most doctors recommend that you include a variety of foods in an IBS diet. And, that what you eat is healthy and well-balanced. An IBS diet for those with constipation may differ from an IBS diet for those with constipation. In cases where both constipation and diarrhea are experienced at different times, a food and symptoms diary is particularly helpful. In the diary, you would note what symptoms you are experiencing and what foods you ate recently. Balance is the key to eating correctly for IBS relief when both constipation and diarrhea are experienced.

Fiber is an important part of any IBS diet. It is recommended that healthy adults consume 20-35 grams of fiber per day. A food and symptoms diary will also help you determine how much fiber you are consuming and supplement when necessary. An IBS diet for those with diary may not include as much fiber, but fiber should not be excluded completely. If you want IBS relief and you commonly have diarrhea, you may want to start with twenty grams of fiber per day, the low end of the scale, rather than a larger amount.

Doctors typically recommend that an IBS diet exclude caffeine, alcohol and sodas. These products can increase diarrhea, but they can also slow down the digestive system causing bloating and constipation. In addition, fructose may need to be excluded for IBS relief when diarrhea is present. Fructose is a simple sugar found in most fruit and fruit juices. It is an ingredient in many processed foods. Chocolate may also need to be excluded from an IBS diet when diarrhea is a problem. It tends to have a laxative effect and is highly acidic.

If you are designing an IBS diet, you may need to check the ingredients on foods that you commonly eat. Not only is fructose believed to be a trigger, but so are some artificial sweeteners. Sorbitol is believed to cause problems for many people.

Even if you commonly have diarrhea, you should not exclude all fruit from your diet in an effort to get IBS relief. Fruit is an important part of any well balanced diet, supplying many essential vitamins and nutrients, as well as dietary fiber found in edible skins. Fresh fruit is a better choice than canned or dried fruit, but different people find that different fruits trigger symptoms. This is why a food and symptoms diary is so important. Undoubtedly you will find that there are certain foods that cause more problems than others.

Yogurt is often included in an IBS diet. It contains something called probiotics which are believed to improve the balance between good and bad bacteria in the digestive tract. A food diary will help you determine if it is a good food choice for you. If yogurt leads to IBS relief, then it is a good choice.

An IBS diet for controlling diarrhea, may exclude fried and fatty foods, as well as products containing the ingredient olean. If constipation is your problem, you may need to avoid highly processed foods like chips, cookies and white rice. Any of these could be causing you problems; the best way to learn what foods to avoid is by using a food and symptoms diary. This cannot be overemphasized, in this writer's opinion. And don't forget to drink plenty of water. Water is an important part of any healthy diet, but is particularly important for an IBS diet; both when constipation is present, to soften the stool and when diarrhea is present, to prevent dehydration from fluid loss. Most experts recommend eight 8 ounce glasses of water per day or 64 ounces total. Many people believe that IBS relief can be achieved just by sticking to their IBS diet, but lifestyle changes and other therapies may be necessary as well. For more information about IBS and other digestive problems, visit www.digestive-disorders-guide.com.

About the Author

Patsy Hamilton has more than twenty years experience as a healthcare professional and currently writes informational articles for the Digestive Disorders Guide. Read more at http://www.digestive-disorders-guide.com.

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