Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder, which generally affects the colon (large intestine). It usually shows symptoms like abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, diarrhea, gas and constipation. IBS is a long-term condition. It can result in sudden mood swings, depression and thus holds you back from living your life to the fullest. IBS can be controlled by managing lifestyle, stress and managing your diet. Medication and counseling could also be required to manage IBS.

Symptoms of IBS:

Immense cramping and pain.
A feeling that your belly is bloated all the time
Severe gas
Alternating and sudden bouts of constipation and diarrhea.
Presence of mucus in the feces.
Whenever you experience such kind of symptoms, it is always advisable that you must consult a doctor, so that it doesn't lead to a serious condition.

When should you consult a doctor for IBS?
IBS is not a chronic disorder and can be controlled by home remedies. It may also require medical treatment if the symptoms become acute and persist for too long. If you experience certain symptoms like rectal bleeding, weight loss and heavy abdominal pain that might increase at night, you may be at a risk for colon cancer. If such symptoms persist, you should visit a doctor as soon as possible.

Causes of IBS:

Foods: Most people are susceptible to IBS if they consume foods like spices, fats, fruits, cabbage, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carbonated beverage, milk or alcohol. These foods irritate the lining of the stomach and trigger IBS. However, the trigger may vary from person to person.
Stress: Signs and symptoms of IBS can also increase if you are very stressed out. Stress makes your muscles too worked up and this may result in IBS. However, you should know that stress aggravates or triggers the symptoms but doesn t cause IBS.
Hormones: Women are more likely to develop IBS. Fluctuations in the hormonal cycle can trigger IBS. This usually occurs around or during menstruation.
Other illnesses: Sometimes illness such as gastroenteritis (infectious diarrhea) or bacterial overgrowth in the intestines can trigger symptoms of IBS.
Age: You will be more likely to develop IBS if you are 45 years of age or above.
Hereditary: People having a family history of IBS are more susceptible to develop IBS.
Mental problems: Depression, personality disorder, anxiety and a history of sexual abuse can also trigger symptoms of IBS.

Can Severe Gas be a Sign of Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder that is diagnosed on the basis of its symptoms. It is characterised by intense abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating and change in bowel habits. One of the primary symptoms of IBS is abdominal pain. It may also be accompanied with frequent diarrhoea or constipation. There might also be a feeling of partial or incomplete evacuation. The symptoms are sometimes relieved by the proper bowel movement. Other symptoms, in this case, include depression and anxiety. In rare cases, there is also a possibility of sexual dysfunction and a reduced libido.

Causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome 

The exact reason behind the occurrence of IBS is not known. It is a disruption of the brain-gut axis that is known to cause the problem. It is also caused due to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.

Triggering factors 

IBS is intensified or triggered by the following factors:

Foods: Edibles like chocolate, milk and alcohol might lead to constipation or diarrhoea. One must also avoid carbonated beverages and some fruits and vegetables. These might lead to bloating and discomfort.

Stress: The condition gets worse with any type of stress.

Hormones: In women, the symptoms occur as a result of the hormones during menstrual periods.

Complications: It is not associated with any fatal condition. But it can lead to diarrhoea and constipation and aggravate hemorrhoids.

Adverse Impacts of the Disease-

IBS has an adverse impact on your lifestyle. It will limit your ability to get social or carry out your daily professional activities. You will find it difficult to cope up with the symptoms while living away from your comfort zone or home. You will not have a good sex life. You will get depressed and may even feel suicidal in extreme cases.

Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome-

IBS is treated broadly by bringing in certain changes in the lifestyle. To begin with, you are advised to check your diet. Include fibre in your diet, if you are suffering from constipation. Also, avoid oily, spicy and hot food items. Besides, you are prescribed medicines such as stool softeners and laxatives and antispasmodic drugs and proton pump inhibitors.

Homeopathic medicines-IBS requires prolonged treatment. Homoeopathy works best to get you relief from the symptoms and cures it, from the roots. Here are certain homeopathic remedies that are helpful in treating the disorder.

Argentum nitricum

Asafoetida

Colocynthis

Lilium tigrinum

Lycopodium

Natrum carbonicum

Nux vomica

Podophyllum

Sulphur

Aloe

It has to be kept in mind that these are just basic remedies. There are over 150 Homeopathic medicines that can be used for treating IBS. Thus, consult your doctor for the best remedy for you as per the symptoms.  

Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Homeopathy

The human body with its multiple organs is a highly complicated structure and one or more organs often malfunction for various reasons. However, for some, no reasons are identified for this problem. One such is irritable bowel syndrome or IBS as it is commonly referred to.

It is a common disorder affecting the large intestine leading to alternate bouts of diarrhea and constipation, abdominal cramps and a feeling of fullness. It is common in people younger than 45 years of age, affects women more than men, and though the exact reason is not known, the following are attributed.

Physical/Physiologic reasons:

1. Signal issues between the brain and intestines: For various or even unknown reasons, the brain may not be able to send the right signal to the stomach to process food, making the stomach to be hyperactive and have an increased sense of pain or sensitivity or discomfort. Neurotransmitters, which are chemicals responsible for sending signals to various organs also could be involved.

2. Hormonal connection: Menstrual periods tend to aggravate symptoms of IBS, while postmenopausal women are largely free of IBS symptoms.

3. Genetics: People with a family history of IBS are more likely to develop IBS too.

4. Aggravating foods: Foods rich in carbohydrates, spicy foods, fatty foods, caffeine and alcohol aggravate IBS symptoms. Ability to absorb sugar could be a cause too.

5. Infections: Some people with IBS have certain bacteria identified in their gut which produces excessive gas and this could lead to altered bowel movements.

6. GI Motility Issues: Alterations in the way the food passes through the stomach can lead to either constipation (slow movement) or diarrhea (quicker movement). There could also be spasms and contractions after eating, especially if the stress levels are high.

7. Psychological issues: Panic disorder, anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder are common in IBS patients. It is possible that they are not able to express their psychological stress, it manifests as physical symptoms. Stress increases symptoms of IBS and vice versa.

Management:

1. Manage stress: Meditation, yoga, support groups, medication and even hypnosis in severely stressed people helps control stress, providing great relief in IBS symptoms.

2. Lifestyle changes: Reduce alcohol and smoking

3. Dietary changes: Avoid aggravating foods, increase the amount of fiber if you have diarrhea and space out meals to avoid intestinal overload

4. Herbal remedies: Probiotics, peppermint oil and a variety of herbal medicines are available.

5. Symptomatic medications: Based on presenting symptoms, different medications including antibiotics for infections and motility drugs can be used. Anti anxiety and antidepressants are also prescribed to manage the psychological issues.

In terms of causes, symptoms, or treatment, IBS requires a very individualized approach and your doctor is the right person to discuss this with and decide.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Symptoms and Management

The bowel is a very important part of your body within the digestive system as it plays a vital role in the absorption of nutrients and minerals within your body as well as excreting toxic matter. The bowel contains the small bowel or small intestine as well as the large bowel or the large intestine. However, parts of the bowel may be infected or damaged in such a manner that they may need to be removed in order to save further worsening. Thus, the removal of sections of the bowels is known as bowel resection surgery.

How is bowel resection surgery performed?

In this procedure, sections of either the large intestine or the small intestine are removed which have either become diseased, infected or have malignant growths within them. The doctors and surgeons first identify the sections that need to be removed and then perform the surgery wherein a section of the tissue is excised and then two ends of the bowel are stitched together to form a new section of continuous small intestine or large intestine.

Types of bowel resection
There are two types of bowel resection, namely small bowel resection performed on the small intestine and large bowel resection performed on the large intestine. The indications for both of them are mentioned below:
Small Bowel resection: Some of the cases wherein small bowel resection may be required are as follows:

Cancerous or benign polyps or growth
Precancerous growths and polyps
Damage to the small intestine due to injuries
Congenital defects in the small intestine
Blockages in the intestine
Growth of ulcers, bleeding, and infection within the small intestine
Infections within the intestines
Other disorders of the small intestine
Large bowel resection: Large bowel resection is also carried out due to many of the same reasons as mentioned above. However, some of the specific reasons for large bowel resection are mentioned below:

Colon cancer
Diverticulitis, disorder that specifically affects the large intestine
Bowel inflammation or ulcerative colitis
Abnormal twisting of the bowel also known as volvulus
Intestines which slide into another section of the intestine; also known as intussusception
Risks of the bowel resection
Like any other surgery, bowel resection also carries its own risks just as any other form of surgery. Some of the common risks of bowel resection are  

Adverse reaction to anesthesia
Infections
Heart attacks or strokes during the operation
Infections
Excessive bleeding among others
Specific risks for large and small bowel resections are mentioned as follows:

Small bowel resection: Certain common risks include accumulation of pus in the abdomen, internal bleeding within the intestine after surgery, diarrhea, infection of the incision area and the stitched area breaking open among others
Large bowel resection: In this case, tissues protruding through the cut causing an incisional hernia is the most common element of risk. Nearby organs may be damaged as well; scar tissue, problems with the passage of material within the colon among others are some of the other complications.
However, these issues occur rarely and resections are performed very successfully and quite regularly by surgeons.

Bowel Resection Surgery - Facts You Should be Aware of 

Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS includes a group of medical symptoms. These include abdominal pain and changes in the pattern of bowel movements. The symptoms mostly continue for a long period of time and are divided into four types depending on diarrhoea or constipation symptoms.

Irritable bowel syndrome causes several negative effects on our health and should be treated as soon as possible. IBS is caused because of various reasons and factors. They are as follows:

Digestive problems: Food is moved through the digestive system with the help of squeezing and relaxation movement of the intestinal muscles in a certain rhythm. In case of IBS, this process is altered and food moves through the digestive system very fast or very slow. When the food moves too fast, diarrhoea is caused as there is not enough time for absorption of water from food. In case of slow food movement, constipation occurs as a result of too much absorption of water. Disorders such as malabsorption of bile acid may also cause IBS in some cases.
Psychological factors: Psychological factors also play a vital role in IBS. When a person is overtly emotional or is suffering from intense stress or anxiety, then these emotions trigger chemical changes in the body which affect the proper functioning of the digestive system. This is not likely in all people who get IBS. People who did not have IBS before, may undergo changes in bowel movements because of immense stress and tension. Many people who have undergone a traumatic experience such as abuse, neglect or a childhood disease can get IBS. These traumatic events or experiences in the past made these people more sensitive to stress, which may result in IBS.
Several triggers of IBS: There are several food items and drinks, which may trigger the symptoms of IBS in a person. These triggers vary from person to person. The most common ones include alcohol, aerated drinks, chocolates, drinks which contain caffeine like coffee or cola, processed snacks such as crackers and biscuits and fried foods, which contain a lot of fat. You should maintain a food diary for identification of triggers that may lead to IBS in your everyday diet. Stress is also an important trigger which may lead to IBS. You should try to find ways to get rid of stress and must avoid over stressing.
Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS results due to several reasons which may be physical or psychological. If you experience symptoms of IBS, you must try to detect or diagnose the reason and then look for proper treatment while consulting with your physician.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Causes Behind it

Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder of the large intestine. It may cause abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and constipation. The condition is not life threatening in nature and does not make you susceptible to colon disorders such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and colon cancer, however, symptoms of IBS may act as deterrents in leading a normal life.

Symptoms
The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are: 
1. You may experience symptoms of constipation
2. Frequent episodes of diarrhea
3. Abdominal cramps especially on the lower part of the abdomen
4. Constant bloating
5. Abnormal stool structure 
6. You belly might stick out 
In some cases, you may experience sexual problems and urinary problems. In addition, if you also suffer from stress related disorders then it might aggravate the symptoms.

Causes
The primary cause is that the colon becomes very sensitive such that small stimulation may cause it to react. When the food passes through the colon, it tends contract strongly and leads to complications, such as bloating and constipation. It may also lead to weak contractions of the colon which leads to hardened stool.
There are certain things which may symptoms of IBS, they are: 

1. Stress: Any type of stress tends to aggravate symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

2. Foods: Certain foods such as chocolate, spices, cabbage, milk and carbonated beverages may trigger symptoms of IBS.

3. Hormones: Hormonal changes such as the ones during menstrual cycles may aggravate symptoms of IBS. 

4. Illnesses: Various illnesses such as diarrhea or conditions such as overproduction of bacteria in the intestines may lead to symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Women are more likely to be affected by symptoms of IBS as are people who are below 45 years of age. If someone in your family has irritable bowel syndrome, then you are also likely to develop this disorder. It may also aggravate symptoms of hemorrhoids, along with aggravating symptoms of stress.

All About Irritable Bowel Syndrome

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