[Colon Cleansing] [Future Nutrition Range] [Health Blog] [Health Information] [Organic Supplements] [Slimming Information] [Slimming and Nutrition] [Organic food supplements] © Specialist Supplements Ltd 2011 So what's Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)? Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is regarded as a chronic intestinal condition, which involves abnormal sensitivity and muscle activity. It is very common, impacts mostly women and normally begins before the age of thirty-five. Frequently, it's referred to as spastic colon, spastic colitis, mucous colitis or nervous stomach, but IBS mustn't be mistaken for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. IBS is a functional problem, where the operation of the bowels may be abnormal, but no structural irregularities exist. There are actually considered to be, generally speaking, 2 types of IBS. In some cases of IBS, contents inside the large intestine don’t advance fast enough and too much liquid is absorbed, resulting in constipation (called IBS-C). In other cases, the materials move around too fast and the bowel doesn’t take in adequate fluid, which in turn causes diarrhoea (called IBS-D). This could possibly bring about physical pain or discomfort (see symptoms below), combined with psychological distress. Men and women who suffer from IBS are very unlikely to talk about it. Nonetheless, reports calculate its occurrence in the United States to be from 10% - 20% of the population! Similarly, in the UK it is thought that up to 1 in 5 people will experience IBS at some point in their lives. What causes IBS? Before going over the possible cause(s) of IBS, it's helpful first to understand the role of the intestines. They play a significant role in digestion, a process in which foodstuff is broken down and assimilated (alongside water) into the bloodstream. The small intestine assimilates nutrients, whilst the large intestine absorbs moisture from the matter that is leftover and excretes the waste products from the anus. Therefore, partly digested foodstuff normally leaves the stomach and passes into the small intestine and then into the large intestine. The large intestine, also called the large bowel or the colon, makes food proceed through the intestine with light squeezing actions. On the other hand, with IBS, it is considered that the intestines squeeze too hard or not hard enough and cause food to move too fast or too sluggishly through the digestive system. Medical professionals don’t yet understand why IBS manifests in certain people. Additionally, a few doctors think the ailment doesn't really exist at all and is psychosomatic in origin. Having said that, this belief is generally rejected by the complementary and alternative medicine profession. IBS also happens to be the most common ailment diagnosed by gastroenterologists and one of the most common disorders seen by primary care physicians. The exact cause, or causes, of IBS are unclear, but: • stress • depression • insufficient intake of dietary fibre • hypersensitivity to particular hormones • food allergies and sensitivities (e.g. to gluten) • problems with the way signals are sent between the brain and the digestive tract • poor diet (including diets high in sugar and/or fat) • micro-organisms in the gut (including bacteria and parasites) • yeasts • coeliac disease • and medications (such as antibiotics), may perhaps all contribute to the onset. What are the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Irritable Bowel Syndrome is not regarded as a disease of itself. The term “syndrome” might sound terrifying, however it is only the term used by doctors to refer to a set of symptoms. Though IBS is certainly not life-threatening, its symptoms can seriously affect a person’s quality of life and could even be debilitating. Signs, symptoms and severity differ from one individual to another (and may change over time). For some, IBS is a chronic (continuous) disorder that characterises daily living. For others, it is a periodic unwelcome visitor. Almost everyone suffers from an occasional bowel disturbance. But, for anyone with IBS, the symptoms are more severe, or arise more frequently. Irrespective of whether moderate or severe, IBS is most commonly known to lead to a mixture of any of the following: abdominal pain, acid reflux, wind, bloated tummy, fullness, cramping pains, exhaustion, headaches, passage of mucous, urgency or a feeling of partial bowel movements and a change in bowel habits (i.e. constipation and/or diarrhoea). Unfortunately, most of these symptoms are really common in other ailments too and are therefore rather vague. This explains the common difficulty in getting a certain diagnosis. More uncommon symptoms include a feeling of sickness and vomiting. What changes in diet can help Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Having unhealthy, processed foods may lead to a tummy upset in almost anyone. Nonetheless, certain foods and drinks (like greasy burgers, sugar, chocolate, milk products, caffeine and alcohol) are thought to aggravate the symptoms of IBS, by (amongst other things) increasing the body’s output of digestive gases.   Stress, on the other hand, is thought to raise the motility (the rhythmic contractions) of the intestine that propels food through the digestive system and can cause abdominal pain and irregular bowel functions. Therefore, although there is no known cure for IBS at present, it is thought that its symptoms can be managed in many ways. For instance, diet and lifestyle changes and through supporting health supplements.   Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) [Health product links] [Health articles] [Own brand supplements] [Trade supplements] [Wholesale vitamins and minerals] [Own label products] [Practitioner supplements] [Sitemap.html] [Home] [Health Information] [Body Cleanse and Detox] [Digestive Enzymes] [Irritable Bowel Syndrome] [Leaky Gut Syndrome] [Colon Care] [Health Programmes] [Products Catalogue] [Contact] [Sitemap] Get shopping!