Everything You Need to Know About Irritable Bowel Syndrome

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Everything You Need To Know About Irritable
Bowel Syndrome
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• About 9 to 23 of the worlds population suffers
  from irritable bowel syndrome, a functional
  disorder that is characterized by changes in the
  functioning of the digestive system. These
  changes lead to a cluster of symptoms commonly
  referred to as IBS. IBS is not a disease and is a
  problem with movement (motility) rather than
  tissue damage in the digestive system. In India,
  the prevalence of IBS stands at 4.2 to 7.8.
  Usually, this disorder frequently affects younger
  adults. In the world, IBS incidence is higher in
  the female population, but in India, it is seen
  more among males as compared to females.
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• Causes and Symptoms Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• While the actual cause for IBS (Irritable Bowel
  Syndrome) is not known, it could be due to
  changes in the gastrointestinal tract motility,
  abnormal nervous system signals, increased pain
  sensitivity and food intolerances. It is a
  chronic illness and people suffer for years
  without knowing the cause. Factors that could
  play a role in IBS are abnormal gut motility,
  microscopic inflammation, muscle contractions in
  the intestine, abnormality in nerves of the
  digestive system, poor signals between brain and
  intestine, inflammation in the intestines, severe
  infection, bacterial overgrowth, changes in the
  gut bacteria. IBS can be triggered by food
  allergies or intolerance and can cause worse IBS
  symptoms in people when they consume certain
  foods or beverages like wheat, cabbage, beans,
  citrus fruits, dairy, and carbonated beverages.

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• Stress is also said to contribute to IBS and it
  aggravates the symptoms. Hormonal changes may
  also be a factor, as women are twice as likely to
  have the disorder. The signs and symptoms of IBS
  may worsen during the days of their menstrual
  cycles. IBS is seen more in people under age 50
  and those with a family history are more likely
  to get the disease. Women are more susceptible to
  the disorder as well as those with mental health
  issues like anxiety, depression. Psychosocial
  factors may also contribute to IBS, like a
  history of emotional, sexual or physical abuse
  are also more likely to have IBS. IBS leads to
  poor quality of life and mood disorders and must
  be diagnosed and treated to ease the symptoms.
• There are four types of irritable bowel syndrome,
  IBS-D (IBS with diarrhea), IBS-C (IBS with
  constipation), IBS-M (mixed diarrhea and
  constipation) and IBS-A (alternating diarrhea and
  constipation). Those with IBS-D experience
  frequent stools while IBS-C experience infrequent
  stools. IBS is mostly characterized by abdominal
  pain and cramping. Other symptoms are
  constipation, diarrhea, increased gas, bloating,
  abdominal pain, nausea, foamy stools, cramps
  after consumption of certain foods, mucousy
  stools, unexplained weight loss, appetite loss
  and indigestion. The symptoms are relieved by
  bowel movements.
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• Diagnosis, Treatment, and Management Irritable
  Bowel Syndrome
• To prevent IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), one
  can try counseling to modify their responses to
  stress, relaxation exercises and mindfulness
  training. They can reduce the symptoms through
  frequent small meals, quit smoking, and increase
  physical activity, cut out caffeine, probiotic
  intake, stress management, biofeedback, cognitive
  behavioural therapy, adequate sleep and digestive
  aids.
• IBS is usually diagnosed by ruling out other
  gastrointestinal disorders with similar signs and
  symptoms. A complete medical history is taken
  meticulously and a general physical examination
  is carried out, to check the frequency of
  symptoms. Symptoms must occur at least thrice a
  month and with the onset at least six months
  previously. Tests that can help exclude similar
  disorders are ordered by the physician. Take for
  example CT scans, stool tests, blood tests and
  X-rays. Two blood tests (for anti- CdtB and
  anti-vinculin antibodies) can help diagnose both
  IBS-D and mixed IBS-M (characterized by both
  diarrhea and constipation.) but not IBS-C. Based
  on the symptoms, the doctor may also refer the
  patient to a gastroenterologist who may perform
  either colonoscopy or upper endoscopy or a
  combination of the two.
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• Dietary Changes and Pharmacological Treatment for
  IBS
• Those with IBS must figure out what foods trigger
  symptoms by keeping a food diary and consume
  water, low-fat foods, dietary fibre supplements,
  high carb foods, probiotics, etc. They must avoid
  dairy, legumes, vegetables that increase gas,
  junk and high-fat foods, sugary food, artificial
  sweeteners and nuts. So, at first, doctors
  suggest dietary modifications and lifestyle
  changes to treat IBS. If the two dont work, they
  then move on to medical treatment and prescribe
  medicines for diarrhea or constipation. They may
  also use antidepressants in low doses to help
  relieve IBS symptoms, antibiotics to check
  bacterial overgrowth or anti-anxiety medications
  and antispasmodics to relieve stress.
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• This article is based on series of free videos
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