What is IBS?

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Title: What is IBS?

Word Count: 434

Author: McEvoy

Email: davemcevoy2004@...

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What is IBS?

Copyright 2006 McEvoy

Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS is a common, chronic

condition that affects the quality of life of thousands of

people. In fact, it affects a third of the population at

one time or another, and one in ten of us is sufficiently

uncomfortable to go to the doctor about it. The

embarrassment factor prevents many from seeking help or

advice, but there is plenty of help available and no shame

in asking for it.

IBS is sometimes also referred to as ‘spastic colon’. This

is because the nerves controlling the muscles in the

gastro-intestinal tract are over-active, causing muscle

spasms in the colon. In this instance the tract becomes

sensitive to various different foods as well as stress –

anxious feelings can set off this reaction in the

over-sensitive part of the digestive system. The result of

this is generally abdominal pain and bloating, and often a

cycle of alternating constipation and diarrhoea. Some of

the other symptoms you may experience are rumbling stomach,

an urgent need to empty the bowels and a feeling of

incomplete emptying after using the toilet, sometimes even

nausea and vomiting and loss of appetite. It is also known

as ‘mucous colitis’, although IBS is the most usual term.

IBS has some symptoms in common with the more severe

Crohn’s Disease, but although it is not as serious as this

it can still cause misery, and exacerbate the depression it

is often brought on by. This cycle can be hard to break. It

is more common in women than in men, and can continue for

months or years if not treated. As aforementioned, since

many people do not seek help for IBS from a doctor, it can

indeed go untreated for a long time. People sometimes do

not think of their symptoms as connected in any way, and

put up with them as just a fault in their digestive system.

IBS is essentially a catch-all term for different

collections of digestive dysfunctions – it is not

inflammatory and should not be confused with Irritable

Bowel Disease, although it can often occur simultaneously

with this more serious condition. There are three forms of

IBS itself, dependant on which of the various symptoms is

presenting as most prominent: diarrhoea-predominant

(IBS-D), constipation-predominant (IBS-C) and IBS with

alternating stool pattern (IBS-A). Most people try to

alleviate their IBS symptoms by altering their diet and

lifestyle and finding out what works best by a process of

trial and error. IBS is often self-diagnosed, but the

diagnosis should always be confirmed by a doctor or

gastroenterologist.

About the Author:

The author- Dave McEvoy is an award winning personal

trainer with over 20 years experience; he has also suffered

from IBS for 15 years.

http://www.mind1st.co.uk/ibssymptomrelief.asp