IBS Symptoms
by Sandra Kim Leong
There are many different names for IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It is also referred to as spastic colon, spastic bowel, spastic colitis, irritable colon, mucous colitis, and nervous or functional bowel. All of these names mean that you have a gastrointestinal disorder that affects mainly the large intestine.
What does the large intestine do? The large intestine is where the stool is produced and stored in the digestive system. If you have IBS symptoms, your bowels may squeeze the stool too lightly or too hard and this causes the nerves and muscles to become extra sensitive. This then can cause your food to move either too quickly or too slowly through your intestines, which can cause diarrhea or constipation, as well as other symptoms.
Some of the Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms that can occur include:
- abdominal cramps
- diarrhea
- constipation
- swollen or bloated abdomen
- excess gas
If you have had these symptoms regularly for a while, then you will want to visit your physician. IBS symptoms are very common. In fact, some studies have suggested that up to 20 percent of Americans have it or have had it at one time or another. If you have IBS symptoms, keep in mind that you are not alone in your suffering.
What are the causes of IBS?
IBS causes are not very clear. Most physicians define it as a functional disorder due to the fact that it causes the bowels to function wrong, but the cause of this is still not very clear.
There are a few things that are clear. Stress can make your IBS worsen. It is not necessarily the cause but it can make your IBS symptoms worse. Thus, you may get pains more frequently or suffer from more severe pains. Getting fired, having a death in the family, or going through a divorce can cause IBS symptoms to occur more readily and severely.
Still another factor that affects IBS symptoms is your diet. Some foods can cause you to have symptoms, much in the same way as an allergic reaction does. It is usually thought that dairy products, caffeine, fatty foods, alcohol, and carbonated drinks can cause and IBS attack, but some people are also affected by tea, citrus fruits, and wheat products.
There are also some foods that can help reduce your IBS symptoms. Fiber-rich foods like apples, peaches, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, and peas are very helpful if you have constipation dominant IBS. Whole grain foods like bread or cereal are also very good for IBS sufferers. Learning more about fiber-filled foods will help you eat better.
If you are not a fan of fruits and vegetables, then you can use a high-fiber pill or supplement, but the fruits and vegetables work much better.
Keep track of the foods that you eat so that you can determine which ones cause you to have IBS symptoms. If you write down everything you eat for a few weeks then you will be able to identify the foods that give you a problem so that you can quit eating them. Although it is a time consuming exercise, the decrease in your IBS symptoms will more than make up for it.
About the author:
Sandra Kim Leong writes on ibs symptoms and treatment. For more information, please visit the site http://www.ibs-treatment-options.com.
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