Patient with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can feel that their lives are being
run by their bowels. They’ve stopped going out, taking trips or doing much of
anything. It feels like they have tried everything. But the real problem is poorly understood by
them, instead of getting at root causes, conventional medicine too often
depends on medications that simply mask the symptoms.
Irritable bowel syndrome can completely
rule your life. It originates from more than just our thoughts or from daily
stress. IBS arises for many different reasons. You don’t have to focus your
life around irritable bowel syndrome anymore. If you go beyond the symptoms and
take a closer look at what might be leading to your discomfort, you can begin
to heal your gut problems at the source and enjoy the healthier life full of
fun and activities.
Irritable
bowel syndrome
What
the phrase implies — a syndrome. That means that not only is the bowel
irritated, but a whole constellation of symptoms and causes is found in
association with IBS, not just one specific pathology.
|
Below you’ll find the criteria healthcare
practitioners consult when making an IBS diagnosis. With several different sets
of criteria plus a range of additional associated symptoms, it’s no wonder IBS
is often poorly understood and misdiagnosed.
Criteria
1.
Abdominal distention
2.
Relief of pain after bowel
movement
3.
More frequent and looser stools
at onset of pain
4.
A sense of incomplete rectal
evacuation
5.
Passage of mucus with the stool
Symptoms
frequently associated with IBS
1.
Constipation
2.
Pain with bowel movements
3.
Painless diarrhoea
4.
Alternating constipation and diarrhoea
5.
Flatulence
6.
Nausea
7.
Vomiting
8.
Headaches
9.
Loss of appetite
10.
Early satiety
11.
Anxiety
12.
Depression
13.
Poor nutrient absorption
14.
Bloating
Causes
of IBS
True healing can take place only when you
treat the root causes. We take this approach because there is wide overlap
between the causes and symptoms seen in irritable bowel. IBS can arise for many
different reasons, and when we address all the factors one by one, patients can
see real results.
Major
triggers for IBS
- Stress and anxiety. As anyone with IBS knows, stress and anxiety can affect the body in many ways. When we’re stressed, changes occur in the autonomic nervous system. The system of nerves that make up the sympathetic (governs our “fight or flight” responses) and parasympathetic (regulates the “rest and digest” responses) nervous systems. In patients with irritable bowel syndrome, input from the brain sends a message to decrease digestion and increase motility of the colon, resulting in the rapid passage of incompletely digested stool.
2.
Imbalanced gut flora. The flora that
populates our guts is so important to every aspect of our health. Many patients
don’t know that when they take any antibiotic, especially repeatedly, it can
wipe out their bacteria — good and bad. Once the friendly bacteria that help
digest your food and protect the gut lining become imbalanced, digestive and
immune capabilities are compromised, potentially leading to IBS. Certain
steroid medications can also disturb floral balance in the gut, as does an
overgrowth of yeast such as Candida in the intestines. Both can lead to or
worsen IBS.
3.
GI infection. Some patient develops IBS after contracting a
case of food poisoning or any one of numerous other intestinal parasites. Most
of these pathogens can be easily treated with antibiotics once recognized, but
resistance in certain bugs is becoming increasingly worrisome, so generally DOCTORS
don’t hand out antibiotics to patients complaining of IBS without first sending
a stool sample for testing.
4.
Food intolerances. Some of the most
common food triggers are wheat, gluten, dairy, corn, sugar, chocolate, coffee,
tea and citrus fruits. Although food sensitivities and allergies can be complex
and change over time. DOCTORS use sensitive allergy antibody tests and an
elimination diet to identify and treat them effectively. Once the problematic
foods are discovered and eliminated from the diet, the gut will quiet down and
the symptoms of IBS often disappear.
5. Hormonal imbalance. Lots of patient (women) notice that their IBS symptoms are worst
just before their periods. Why this occurs is not clear, but it may have to do
with the pattern of hormonal fluctuation in the second half of the cycle.
But there are many other disease processes
that can lead to IBS-like symptoms. For example,
·
Endometriosis.
·
Ovarian and colon cancer.
·
Inflammatory bowel disease.
These
can often cause or exacerbate bloating and other symptoms that resemble IBS,
which can lead to a misdiagnosis.
Brain
Gut Connection
It’s true that IBS originates from
imbalances in the brain. And the answer
is YES and NO. Most of us know what it feels like to get butterflies before
an important event, before a test or interview. It’s no surprise that the
things on our minds can affect what happens in our guts. We have known this
since the beginning of time. 95% percent of our serotonin, the neurotransmitter
most of us associate with mood and brain function, is manufactured in the gut.
Its main role there is to stimulate intestinal movement and contraction, as
well as to help with mucus secretion. You may find that eating too much of the
kinds of food that cause a spike in serotonin levels. Food high in refined
carbs will trigger an episode of IBS, especially if there are other pieces of
the IBS picture already in place (stress, a lack of digestive enzymes, floral
imbalance, or other problems).
But the connection between gut and brain
may not be as direct as it first appears. The nervous system is divided into
two broad categories:
1.
The central nervous system,
which is comprised of the brain and spinal cord.
2.
Peripheral nervous system,
which makes up all the other nerves in the body and follows commands from the
central nervous system.
3.
The enteric nervous system is
technically a part of the peripheral nervous system, but it doesn’t always
follow commands from the brain and spinal cord, and it doesn’t necessarily send
input back to the brain as the rest of the peripheral nervous system does.
How
to Develop Healthy Gut?
It was routine for healthcare practitioners
to ask patients detailed questions about their digestion and bowel health. The
digestive system was considered an excellent window through which they could
view an individual’s whole health picture. Though practitioners in the East
still place a primary focus on the digestive system, here in the West many pay
little to our bowels, unless we complain.
The bottom line is that each patient heals
differently, particularly when it comes to the gut, and the best course of
action has to be tailored to her unique physiology and situation.
1. Stress Relief (A Real Priority)
Stress is the IBS trigger that is often
most difficult to remove. If we’ve gotten into the habit of feeling stressed
and anxious, it’s difficult to simply stop — especially if we’re dreading the
onset of pain, discomfort, or embarrassment so common in irritable bowel
syndrome. Getting to the root of our stress can require a dramatic change in
the way we think about things. What we think and feel has so much impact on our
bodies. Give yourself permission to experiment with new ways of relieving
anxiety and stress. Consider meditation, EFT, enrolling in a yoga class or
getting regular massages. If you have the time and money, many of my patients
have had success with the Quadrinity Process as a way to change old ways of
thinking. Another form of behaviour modification known as cognitive behavioural
therapy has also been helpful for some women.
2. Add a probiotic In Your
Diet
Research shows that healthy probiotic flora
like acidophilus, bifidobacteria, and saccharomyces boulardii may alleviate
some cases of IBS. Probiotics can also be found in fermented foods like yogurt,
kefir, and miso, as well as in combination supplements. When floral balance is
restored to your gut, you will enjoy all the benefits of better digestion and
improved immunity.
3. An Elimination Diet.
Many of my patients eliminate certain
trigger foods, especially gluten and lactose, and start to feel much better. If
you decide on an elimination diet, be sure to first eliminate all possible
trigger foods, including gluten (wheat), lactose (dairy), corn, sugar,
chocolate, coffee, tea and citrus fruits, and then add one food or food group
back in at a time
4. Stool Analysis.
Talk with your healthcare provider about a
digestive stool analysis with comprehensive parasitology. This may provide
answers about malabsorption, pH imbalance, parasites, or yeast overgrowth. When
parasites or an abundance of yeast are treated, it can dramatically reduce your
IBS symptoms.
5. Eat Fresh Whole Foods With
Plenty of Fibre.
Our bodies were made to eat fresh whole
foods, foods without hormones and additives, foods that are not genetically
modified or refined. The bacteria in our gut need dietary fibre to do their
jobs. They ferment dietary fibre to produce short-chain fatty acids, including
butyric acid, which is the primary source of fuel for our colonic cells. So if
you’re not eating enough fibre, you’re starving both your beneficial flora and
the cells in your colon!
It Shouldn’t
Have To Be This Way
IBS is not a simple cause-and-effect
disorder. To treat it, we have to look deeper than high-fibre diets,
antispasmodics and antidepressants. It’s neither just in your head nor just in
your gut. IBS can result from numerous stressors in our environments, your
diets, even your thoughts. The best way to begin the healing process is by
understanding that your own symptoms have their own solutions. You don’t have
to live with IBS forever. It may feel like you’re stuck with the discomfort,
but with some careful attention and time, you can find your path to healthy,
happy bowel function naturally. Remember, the time and attention you invest
will be worth it, because healthy digestion delivers a healthier life on every
level.
Dr Imtiaz Syed, M.B, B.S, MBA, CRA, PCQI, CPC
Redditch, Gloucestershire. UK
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