Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a fairly common disorder of the intestines that can range from mildly annoying to severe and disabling. It is typically a chronic condition that comes and goes at different times, disabling the sufferer and then disappearing entirely. According to recent studies, two thirds of its sufferers are women. Today, nearly 20 million women have this condition.
Development of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Modern medical practitioners have not been able to identify one reason for the onset of IBS. Research is ongoing, IBS is believed to be the result of an overly sensitive colon. Patients have stomach contractions that are stronger and last longer and than those of non-sufferers. Some doctors believe that the two major causes of IBS are stress and diet. Afflicted individuals often notice the syndrome after meals during times of stress. Stress, which operates through the nervous system, also triggers the colon into action. Others feel that since two thirds of sufferers are women, hormonal changes may play a major role, and that the condition may be more of an emotional or psycholocial problem.
Natural medicine practitioners, on the other hand, agree that IBS is often related to diet or food allergies and find that “leaky gut syndrome” is at the root this condition and can be the result of an excessive use of antibiotics or other medications or an untreated yeast infection.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms
Afflicted individuals often describe cramping pains, gaseousness, bloating and irregular bowel action. IBS can manifest itself in any number of ways including constipation, diarrhea, both, or no bowel movements at all. It can either be painful or painless. If diarrhea is a symptom, it may begin very suddenly and with extreme urgency, typically follows soon after a meal, although it can also occur immediately upon awakening. Diarrhea during the night is rare. Some individuals experience bloating, gas and cramping throughout the lower abdomen. Other symptoms of IBS include nausea, headaches, fatigue, depression, anxiety and difficulty concentrating.
Conventional medical treatments may help relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, but they do not address the root of the problem. By assessing the root of the problem, as natural medicine therapies do, Irritable bowel syndrome can be alleviated permanently.
The physicians at Sunridge Medical have found that symptoms frequently can be improved and even reversed with our natural treatments. We take a holistic approach to patient care and strive not only treat the disease, but also alleviate symptoms, increase quality of life and, most importantly, address the underlying cause of disease.
References on Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Canavan, C., West, J., & Card, T. (2014). The epidemiology of irritable bowel syndrome. Clinical epidemiology, 6, 71–80. https://doi.org/10.2147/CLEP.S40245
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional condition of the bowel that is diagnosed using clinical criteria. This paper discusses the nature of the diagnostic process for IBS and how this impacts epidemiological measurements. Depending on the diagnostic criteria employed, IBS affects around 11% of the population globally. Around 30% of people who experience the symptoms of IBS will consult physicians for their IBS symptoms. These people do not have significantly different abdominal symptoms to those who do not consult, but they do have greater levels of anxiety and lower quality of life.
Internationally, there is a female predominance in the prevalence of IBS. There is 25% less IBS diagnosed in those over 50 years and there is no association with socioeconomic status. IBS aggregates within families and the genetic and sociological factors potentially underlying this are reviewed. Patients diagnosed with IBS are highly likely to have other functional disease and have more surgery than the general population. There is no evidence that IBS is associated with an increased mortality risk. The epidemiological evidence surrounding these aspects of the natural history is discussed.
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