Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Causes, Prevention and Treatments

Characterized by gastrointestinal, chronic, and recurring problems are not associated with biochemical or structural changes. 10 to 20% of the European population of the United States are affected by this syndrome. Women, generally those in their late teens or those aged 30 and under, are most affected.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Definition

Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder of operation allegedly linked to hypersensitivity of the large intestine and locking traction. This condition is defined as a functional bowel disorder characterized by abdominal pain, digestive discomfort associated with the change in frequency of stool. To these, evils added the stomach bloating, bowel habits, and abdominal distension. It is evil more and more widespread, and it is also the cause of more than 40% of visits to gastroenterologists.

What are the causes?

The cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is not very well known and is not known when a person starts showing symptoms. It is believed that food digestion and transformation of the mouth to the anus involved and are responsible for this stimulus intestinal and bowel movements. It is also observed that individuals with SCI have limited gas volumes within the intestine, where the feces can generate a sensation interpreted as pain. At the same time, those without the syndrome are probably not disturbed by similar stimuli. Psychological disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are more common in patients with IBS. These individuals may perceive and respond more to smaller stimuli.

Today, some assumptions are listed on the factors that could be the basis of irritable bowel syndrome. They are divided between dietary factors and psychological factors. Dietary factors are associated with the consumption of foods with a high capacity of fat, chocolate, coffee, alcohol, and gas-producing vegetables that have properties (cabbage, lentils, beans, etc.). Regarding psychological factors, they are mainly related to stress. Indeed, studies have shown that even if digestion is not directly dependent on the brain, it can disrupt its progress in case of stress or intense activity. In these, the only diagnostic elements that affirm the presence of evil before a medical examination, it is the irritable bowel symptoms.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptoms are pain and bloating associated with increased stool frequency and a softening of stool, symptomatic periods alternated with asymptomatic periods of up to several years. When pain occurs, the cramps are most common and usually located in the lower abdomen. Sometimes defecation relieves, but with time, the pain may worsen with stress, especially during lunch hours or after meals. In most cases, diarrhea is the most recognized and may contain mucus in some patients. In other cases, patients complain of constipation. The most common symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome are bloating or a feeling of swelling belly, periods of diarrhea and constipation alternately, excessive flatulence, a sensation of incomplete emptying after a bowel crisis.

How does the doctor diagnose it?

The diagnosis is based on symptoms reported by the patient. Clinical tests or laboratory are also carried out. Generally, the doctor asks about blood tests and stool to detect parasitic infections. These tests are not intended to confirm the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome, but to rule out other diseases with similar symptoms, since no test can confirm the diagnosis of IBS. In people whose symptoms appear after 40 years and in people with a family history of colon cancer, an evaluation by colonoscopy is indicated to rule out this possibility. Fever, bleeding, anemia, weight loss, diarrhea overnight in large quantities and with a consequent frequency are not characteristic of irritable bowel syndrome.

What is the proper treatment?

Primarily, a clear discussion of the physician to the patient about the disease is necessary. If the disease is benign and does not progress to a serious condition, the patient should be aware that this is an essential step for better ease symptoms tolerable.
You should know that psychological factors are associated with symptomatic onset.
A high fiber diet is often recommended in patients complaining of constipation, and intestinal transit can better help patients who complain about excessive flatulence.
Patients with IBS poorly tolerate some foods. A diet planned, based on a correlation of food eaten beforehand, to measure and better detect the cause of the disease.
Some vegetables such as beans, cabbage, cauliflower, raw onion, grapes, and plums cause pain or bloating in some patients.
Wine, beer, and beverages containing caffeine (coffee, tea) may also be poorly tolerated.
In the vast majority of patients, the patient must know about the disease and what foods to eat.
In some cases, the symptom is troublesome, and the patient must take medicine to treat diarrhea, constipation, or abdominal pain.
The beneficial use of antidepressant drugs could help. No drug is proven effective for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.

How to prevent the disease?

Medical assistance is needed to clarify the specific symptoms and prevent the disease that can have a severe impact on patients’ lives. We must not forget that irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic, relapsing disease, not prevention or specific treatment, with benign features, without increased risk an evolution to more severe disease. So people have nothing to change the quality of life and productivity.

Some useful advice!

Despite the research done in this area, no convincing treatment is yet available to cure irritable bowel syndrome. If you detect any of the irritable bowel symptoms listed above, it is imperative to consult as soon as possible a gastroenterologist or other specialist treatment of gastric disorders. But before you go to the doctor, it is recommended to note the different foods you eat for at least two weeks. This will allow the specialist to identify foods that trigger ailments and prescribe medication to lessen the pain.

Sama