IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome is one of the most common gastrointestinal functional disorders. These conditions are claimed by physicians to be gut-brain disorders. That is conditions that “show” the functional state between the brain and the guts. For example, if a person has a sensitive gut, they can feel severe abdominal pains and vice versa. That is why the IBS is also called a “nervous colon”.
Irritable bowel syndrome is the condition when the digestive function is not normal, it is faster or slower than it should be, causing diarrhea or constipation.
IBS has three types according to the changes in your bowel movements. They are IBS-D (IBS with mostly diarrhea), IBS-C (IBS with mostly constipation), IBS-M (IBS with mixed types). The type is diagnosed by the gastroenterologist and the treatment for each of the types may differ from others.
How to know if you have IBS?
Most gastrointestinal disorders have similar signs. One can easily get confused and can’t decide which disorder they have. To know more details about symptoms visit here and if you find out to experience at least one of them frequently, then do not neglect it. Here they are:
- Abdominal discomfort/pain/cramps
- Bloating
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
These symptoms are not life-threatening but are hard to live with. And being in a constant state like this can cause many other problems such as immune and emotional disorders, cardiovascular disease and also lifelong, painful discomfort. In order not to have these problems too, you should take the necessary steps and grant yourself a healthier life.
How to treat IBS effectively
IBS is a condition that requires patience and consistent treatment. If you think you may have this syndrome, the first thing you should do is definitely to see a doctor. People often turn to homemade recipes and try to treat such cases themselves. But this is not the case for self-medication. It’s true, there is no special medicine to cure IBS for lifelong, but there are many remedies and other therapies that can reduce the condition and return you to a normal life.
The treatments for every type of disorder can be different. For example, a treatment for IBS-D may affect badly for IBS-C or the other, etc. The treatment will be prescribed after you have been truly diagnosed with IBS. The diagnosing process begins with full questioning and then goes with some tests, which will together give the conclusion of your condition. After it, your doctor may recommend you some diet changes, medications to relieve the pains or other symptoms, maybe some special nutritional supplements about which you can read more, or maybe even antibiotics. It is essential to stay in touch with your doctor and take all the prescriptions you get.
According to many doctors, the most effective treatment for IBS is the combination or the plan that includes many steps including drugs. The steps include:
Diet changes
Sometimes it is difficult to find out which food or drink causes your digestive problems and the medical examinations clearly show it. You may have to avoid/exclude some products like dairy, wheat, caffeine, and instead, add more fiber and water. These are the most common products that are included in the treatment. The dietary changes are usually done with a nutritionist for a better result.
Physical activity
Movement and exercise can cure many illnesses and disorders. In this case, physical activity will better your digestion and will help in relieving symptoms. Besides, exercising gives you energy and relieves daily nervousness or stress, which also plays a huge role in the aggravation of IBS and its symptoms.
Psychotherapy
As we’ve mentioned above, IBS and other gastrointestinal functional disorders are said to be brain-gut conditions. The nervous system is connected to guts function and sometimes even a little nervousness can trigger the symptoms. In such cases, psychotherapy, with the help of medications, will improve the condition and may relieve all the symptoms. One of the effective types is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Medicaments
According to the type of IBS, the doctor will prescribe you drugs that relieve frequent pains, excess gas, bloating, or maybe drugs that will loosen/ harden the stool. For IBS treatment, doctors also can prescribe antibiotics, and for severe cases antidepressants which will help your guts be less sensitive to your feelings and to the meals you eat.
In addition to these steps, an essential way of effective treatment is getting the guts in balance. That is, imbalanced guts can cause you to have severe symptoms and the syndrome of IBS. Why it is so important? Because the guts need healthy and good bacteria for full functioning. And accordingly, the malfunction of the gut system can bring disorders like Irritable bowel. A gut imbalance brings many infections, lowers immune health, makes the digestive system worse, and other such problems. So, balancing gut health may help you feel healthier and much better without severe symptoms. For this, there are probiotics that contain lots of good bacteria. Your doctor may prescribe you some kinds of them to regain the balance.
What can cause IBS?
Causes of IBS are not found out to the fullest yet, but doctors are assured there can be too many problems altogether that can cause IBS. But the first risk factor is to have a family member with the same condition. It is not necessary but you’re more likely to experience IBS if it’s already in your genes.
Another cause is the nervous system. If the digestive system nerves receive abnormal signals from the nervous system, this can lead to abdominal pains or cramps.
Another cause of IBS may be the infection a person has had recently or even long ago. Doctors say that even an early-life depression, stressful life, or abuse can be a trigger to develop IBS.
To sum up, IBS is not the disease you must be scared of but also is not the one you should neglect and drink painkillers. A symptom is enough to see the doctor, get the right and effective treatment and live a healthy life.
