A surprising large number of people suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition characterized by a combination of stomach pain, abdominal discomfort and abnormal bowel movement such as diarrhea or constipation. This condition is not life threatening, but can make you very uncomfortable and increase your risk of suffering from other colon problems. Ayurveda can be very effective in treating irritable bowel syndrome. Here are a few tips.

A healthy diet
Diet is one of the most important facets of Ayurveda. To prevent bowel difficulties eat plenty of fiber and easy to digest foods. Cumin seeds, pomegranate and buttermilk can also aid digestion and prevent this condition. Drinking warm water can also aid digestion. On the other hand, curd, junk food, acidic beverages and food that causes bloating and excessive gas production such as potatoes, cabbage and cauliflower should be reduced or removed from your daily diet.

Yoga asanas
Yoga works on the physical and psychological levels of a person. It also massages and strengthens a number of different organs. Stress is one of the biggest causes of irritable bowel syndrome. Yoga can help combat stress and alleviates anxiety and aids relaxation. A few basic yoga asanas that can help ease pain and treat this condition are:

Marjariasana
Pavanamuktasana
Downward facing dog
Ardhamatsyendrasena
Bhujangasana
Dhanurasana
Panchakarma
This is an Ayurvedic cleansing process that enhances the metabolic process and eliminates toxins from the body. Panchakarma literally means 5 techniques or forms of treatment. This includes vamana, virechana, basti, nasya and raktamokshana. These processes make the mind and body more receptive to food and medicines that treat irritable bowel syndrome.

Probiotics: Probiotics supplement your natural gut bacteria and help break down complex foods. It can also help alleviate bloating, abdominal pain and regularize bowel movements. Probiotics can be found in oatmeal, whole grains and a number of fruits and vegetables like asparagus, onions and bananas.
Herbs: Ayurveda also utilizes the properties of herbs to treat health conditions. Half a spoon of turmeric taken twice a day can help reduce intestinal inflammation and reduce bloating and abdominal pain. Drinking a concoction made by steeping spoonful of dried mint leaves or coriander seeds in hot water for ten minutes can also help deal with this condition. Equal quantities of powdered dry ginger, pepper and pippali can help regulate digestion. 

Know How To Treat IBS with Ayurveda!

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

IBS or irritable bowel syndrome, also called irritable bowel, is a disorder that is striking many more people today than ever. It is basically a gastrointestinal motility disorder with no known cause. Not sure, if it has struck you too? Here are the common symptoms of this scourge. You have abdominal pain followed by severe bloating with abdominal cramps after eating. You also feel that your bowels are always full and you suffer from chronic diarrhea, constipation or a combination of both.

What is the treatment for IBS? 

None or close to none, in allopathy. Doctors will give you medicines to manage symptoms and once the medicines are stopped, IBS strikes again. IBS is called  Grahani  in Ayurveda which is the name given to the small intestine because of its property to store and metabolize food. In the small intestine, which sees a lot of agni or enzymatic activity, food is held for a long time till it is digested. But when agni is weak due to malfunctioning digestive enzymes, the small intestine releases food in an undigested form.

There are 4 different types of Grahani based on the type of dosha which is disturbed.

Ayurveda uses the principle of involvement of doshas to understand symptoms in different types of IBS and also provide a system of treatment specific to that particular dosha imbalance. Ayurvedic treatments encompass herbs, food and lifestyle changes.

The concept of weak digestion or  Mand-agni  is also the key, as it leads to the accumulation of Ama , which causes IBS.
When levels of ama are high, the doctor will treat it with fasting and by giving you digestives and carminatives. He will ask you to drink warm water.
In constipation predominant IBS, the doctor will use digestives like chitrakadi vati and shankha vati to get rid of ama. He will also prescribe medicinal ghee preparations such as dashmuladi ghrita and thryushanadi ghrita.
Emesis (vamana) is used to treat diarrhea-predominant IBS.
The Ayurvedic treatment for dysentery predominant IBS is use of laxatives or virechana and use of herbs with spicy and sour tastes.
Complex IBS is treated with the panchakarma, supported by digestives.
Ayurveda relies a lot on buttermilk to treat IBS as it is digestive, astringent, and light to digest. It is usually given with herbs like asafetida, cumin, and rock-salt powder to control bowel movements. Buttermilk also contains a good amount of lactobacillus bacteria, which help to restore the normal flora of the GI tract.
Doctors will ask you to abstain from vata increasing foods like cabbage and beans, if you suffer from flatulence. Restriction of dairy and fruits like bananas may also be required. You will be asked to take a light diet and do away with cheese, non-veg and hard, cold foods. You will also be eating a lot of ginger, fennel and cumin that stimulate secretion of digestive enzymes for treating IBS.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Ways Ayurveda Can Help!

Patients suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome experience severe abdominal pain, abdominal bloating along with cramping, gas, constipation and a constant urge to go to the toilet again and again. IBS is a health disorder where the large intestine or the colon is affected. This condition is a chronic one and requires long-term management. The symptoms are usually worse after eating and tend to occur in episodes. Although the disorder cannot be reversed, several symptoms can be managed or controlled by making lifestyle and dietary modifications. Most patients with IBS will experience flare-ups that last for a few days. For others, medical treatment is required.

Treatment and Care

Different procedures are used to treat IBS, which vary from person to person. However, one single treatment does not work with everyone.

Lifestyle and Dietary changes:

By making several basic modifications to your regular diet and activities, IBS improves with time. Here are some tips:

You should avoid caffeine in any form such as coffee, tea or soda.
You should increase the amount of fiber in your diet and include vegetables, fruits, whole grains and nuts.
You must drink three to four glasses of water regularly.
Smoking should be abstained from.
You must undertake relaxation techniques and work out in order to reduce stress.
Your amount of dairy product consumption must be reduced. 
You should eat frequent, small meals instead of fewer large meals.
The most common food triggers, which lead to IBS are green onions, red wine, milk and red peppers. You should not consume these products.
You should keep a record of the types of food you consume so that you can identify the IBS triggering food items.
You should eliminate high gas producing food items from your diet. Food items which may result in passing excess amount of gas such as carbonated vegetables and vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower should not be consumed. 
Medications:

Several medicines are used to treat IBS. These include the following:

Antispasmodics are used to control muscle spasms in the large intestine.
Antidiarrhoeal medicines are used to control the symptoms of diarrhoea.
Laxatives are prescribed for relief from constipation.
Bulking agents like wheat bran and corn fibers are used to slow down the food movement through the digestive system. They also relieve symptoms.
Antidepressants are also used in case of some patients with IBS for relief.
In patients, whose symptoms occur due to bacterial overgrowth in the intestines, certain antibiotics may be used for treatment.
There are several triggers of IBS, which must be identified and treatment should be undertaken after that. For the proper identification and best treatment of IBS which suits your symptoms, it is essential you consult a gastroenterologist. Alternative treatment methods such as acupuncture, using certain herbs and probiotics can also be followed.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Treatment and Care

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 (IBS) is one of the most common disorders of digestive system producing a spectrum of symptoms such as persistent and recurring abdominal pain associated with passing of motion, change of bowel habit (diarrhea, constipation, or alternating diarrhea and constipation), etc. without any apparent cause.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the disorder of function, which means that the bowel doesn't work, as it should. If one visualizes the bowel, it appears perfectly normal without any inflammation or other structural changes. In people with IBS, the intestines squeeze too hard or not hard enough and cause food to move too quickly or too slowly through the intestines.

What Are the Symptoms of IBS?

People with IBS have symptoms that can include:

Diarrhea (often described as violent episodes of diarrhea)

Constipation

Constipation alternating with diarrhea

Belly pains or cramps, usually in the lower half of the belly, that get worse after meals and feel better after a bowel movement

A lot of gas or bloating

Harder or looser stools than normal (pellets or flat ribbon stools)

A belly that sticks out

Stress can make symptoms worse.

How does Homeopathy treat IBS?

IBS can have significant impact on individual's social, personal, and professional life. Homeopathy offers proven treatment for the IBS which treats the Mind and Body connections. IBS calls for the treatment which should address the emotional stress, the stress coping system and the intestinal hypersensitivity. This is what homeopathy attempts doping exactly. The scientific and documented study shows that the homeopathic treatment helps achieve:

Soothing of mind

Slowing down of negative emotions such as anxiety, sadness, frustration, hyperactivity, anger, restlessness, etc.

Helping body's stress coping system

Alleviating the abnormal hypersensitivity of the bowels

Relieving the symptoms of bowel hyper-motility

Enhancing level of joyous state of mind

Individualistic approach whereby every patient is treated based on one's case

Homeopathic Treatment-

The Homeopathy medicine works at the deeper level, bringing the deviations of harmony among various systems of body back to normalcy. The homeopathic medicine establishes a good communication between the brain and the gut, thus ensuring proper relay of signals. The positive outcome of this is that the motility of intestines becomes regular and rhythmic, thus relieving complaints of either diarrhea or constipation or both.

Moreover, Homeopathy improves the pain threshold of individual, thus alleviating symptoms of pain and cramps associated with IBS. Homeopathy medicines work at deeper level of an individual to root out root causes. The two factors that are triggering causes of IBS are emotional stress and exaggerated sensitivity to food items.

Homeopathy has very well perceived the influences of psyche on the physique of an individual. Homeopathy medicines positively influences the emotions and thinking of an individual so that the person can cope with stress optimistically. Homeopathy medicines have proven efficacy to manage mental stress and its offshoots like IBS. Homeopathy medicines aid in minimizing food sensitivities and allergies.

Homeopathy and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Don't wait any longer, manage your Short Bowel Syndrome online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Short Bowel Syndrome - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES