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Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Symptoms, Causes And Treatments |
By:
Paul MacIver |
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Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic functional disorder of the
intestines which causes abdominal pain, often accompanied by
cramping, bloating, diarrhea and constipation. It is also
referred to as spastic colon or mucous colitis. Irritable bowel
syndrome is more commonly known by its abbreviated term - IBS.
There are three forms of IBS depending on the symptoms --
diarrhea-predominant (IBS-D), constipation-predominant (IBS-C)
and IBS with alternating stool pattern (IBS-A). Clinical
investigations are going on a new IBS subtype, post-infectious
IBS (IBS-PI).
Symptoms of IBS
IBS symptoms include:
* Abdominal pain
* Discomfort associated with changes in bowel habits
* Fewer than three bowel movements a week
* More than three bowel movements a day
* Hard or lumpy stools
* Loose or watery stools
* Straining during a bowel movement
* Urgency (having to rush to have a bowel movement)
* Feeling of incomplete bowel movement
* Passing mucus (white material) during a bowel movement
* Abdominal fullness, bloating, or swelling
* Chronic pelvic pain
* Mental stress
* Fibromyalgia and various mental disorders
* Researchers believe that there are neurological and
psychological disorders associated with IBS.
Causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
The exact causes of irritable bowel syndrome are unknown, but
there are factors that may aggravate the trouble. Dietary
factors and stress don't exactly cause IBS, but they can
aggravate it. Various studies and researches have noted an IBS
connection to diet. Physicians feel that the correct diet can
provide IBS relief.
Common IBS diet advice includes:
* Eat soluble fiber foods and supplements.
* Substitute dairy products for soy or rice products.
* Be careful with fresh fruits and vegetables that are high in
insoluble fiber.
* Eat small amounts in regular intervals to lessen the symptoms
of IBS.
* Avoid eating red meat, oily or fatty (and fried) products.
* Avoid taking dairy products (especially when lactose
intolerance is suspected).
* Avoid solid chocolate, coffee (regular and decaffeinated),
alcohol, carbonated beverages and artificial sweeteners.
IBS Treatment
IBS treatment includes dietary advice and medication. Developing
good dietary habits may be the best treatment for irritable
bowel syndrome.
Medications can provide instant IBS relief. These may include
stool softeners and laxatives in constipation-predominant, and
antidiarrheal (loperamide) in diarrhea-predominant IBS. The low
dosage of tricyclic and SSRI antidepressants has shown to be the
most widely prescribed medications for helping to relieve
symptoms of visceral sensitivity (pain) and diarrhea or
constipation respectively. Other medications include:
* Alosetron: Alosetron is a selective 5-HT3 antagonist for
IBS-D. It is only available for women in the United States under
a restricted access program, due to severe risks of side effects
if taken mistakenly by IBS-A or IBS-C sufferers.
* Cilansetron: Cilansetron is also a selective 5-HT3 antagonist
that is undergoing further clinical studies in Europe for IBS-D
sufferers.
* Tegaserod: Tegaserod is a selective 5-HT4 antagonist for
IBS-C. It has shown to have an excellent safety profile for
relieving IBS constipation and chronic idiopathic constipation.
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Article Source: http://www.friendsofvista.org/articles/article29746.html |
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