Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Take Control of IBS
Contents:
Read more about the causes of IBS.
8 Ways I Learned to Take Control of My IBS
Read more about treating IBS. You may go for many months without any symptoms, then have a sudden flare-up.
These problems rarely improve without treatment and your GP can recommend treatments such as antidepressants or cognitive behavioural therapy CBT , which can help you cope with IBS, as well as directly treating the condition. With appropriate medical and psychological treatment, you should be able to live a normal, full and active life with IBS. After this time, the symptoms usually improve, but may not disappear completely. Read more about IBS triggers. In addition to the main symptoms, some people with IBS experience a number of other problems.
The symptoms of IBS can also have a significant impact on a person's day-to-day life and can have a deep psychological impact. As a result, many people with the condition have feelings of depression and anxiety. The exact cause of irritable bowel syndrome IBS is unknown, but most experts think that it's related to problems with digestion and increased sensitivity of the gut.
It has also been suggested that problems such as bile acid malabsorption where bile produced by the liver builds up in the digestive system may be responsible for some cases of IBS. For example, nerves in your digestive system relay signals to your brain to let you know if you are hungry or full, or if you need to go to the toilet. Intense emotional states such as stress and anxiety can trigger chemical changes that interfere with the normal workings of the digestive system.
This does not just happen in people with IBS.
Some people with IBS have experienced a traumatic event, usually during their childhood, such as abuse, neglect, a serious childhood illness or bereavement. Triggers vary from person to person, but common ones include:. Stress is another common trigger of IBS symptoms. There are no specific tests for IBS, as it does not cause any obvious detectable abnormalities in your digestive system. Many cases of IBS can be diagnosed based on your symptoms alone, although sometimes further tests may be needed to check for other possible causes.
A sample of your stools will also often be tested for the presence of a substance called calprotectin.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
This substance is produced by the gut when it is inflamed, and its presence in your stools could mean your symptoms are being caused by inflammatory bowel disease IBD. In these cases, your doctor may recommend having a colonoscopy to check for abnormalities in your gut. However, there is no "one size fits all" diet for people with the condition.
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It may be helpful to keep a food diary and record whether certain foods make your symptoms better or worse. You can then avoid foods that trigger your symptoms. Some research has suggested that excess bacteria in the GI tract may contribute to symptoms. The good news is that IBS is not a life-threatening condition. IBS does not make a person more likely to develop other colon conditions, such as colitis , Crohn's disease , or colon cancer.
Yet, IBS can be frustrating because it can come and go throughout life. Irritable bowel syndrome IBS goes by many names.
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