Irritable Bowel Syndrome Relief Treatments

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a chronic yet intermittent condition characterized by a mixture of symptoms believed to be due to a disorder of intestinal motor function. The main symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are abdominal pain, bloating, and discomfort. However, symptoms may differ from person to person. It should be noted that irritable bowel syndrome and bleeding are not believed to be linked. A person reporting bleeding usually indicates some other problem related to the gastrointestinal tract.

The symptoms of IBS differ from person to person. Some people report constipation, meaning hard, difficult-to-pass, or infrequent bowel movements. They can feel cramps when trying to have a bowel movement. Either they cannot eliminate any stool or are able to eliminate only a small amount.

Some people with IBS report diarrhea, which are loose, watery stools. These people frequently feel an urgent need to have a bowel movement. There are also many other people which alternate between constipation and diarrhea.

For a number of sufferers the symptoms subside for few months and then return, while others report a constant worsening of symptoms over time.

Irritable bowel syndrome is not associated with bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. Bleeding in GI tract can occur as the result of a number of different conditions, some of which may be severe or even life threatening.

However, most common reasons of bleeding in GI tract are related to conditions that can be cured or controlled. The cause of bleeding in the GI tract may not be serious, but locating the source of bleeding is very important.

The main organs of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. Bleeding may occur from one or more of these organs.

Sometimes bleeding occurs without the person noticing it. This type of bleeding is known as occult or hidden bleeding. Bleeding from the esophagus may occur due to inflammation (esophagitis), enlarged veins (varices), tear (Mallory-Weiss syndrome), cancer or liver disease.

Ulcers, gastritis, and cancer are some of the main causes of bleeding from stomach. In small intestine, duodenal ulcer and cancer may lead to bleeding. In the large intestine and rectum some of the main causes of bleeding are hemorrhoids, infections, inflammation (ulcerative colitis), colorectal polyps, and colorectal cancer. 

To diagnose the bleeding in the GI tract, the site of the bleeding must be located. To do this your doctor will normally go through your complete history and perform a physical examination. Your Doctor will probably ask questions about the symptoms such as changes in bowel habits, stool color (to black or red) and consistency, and the presence of pain or tenderness.

Although it can be a little embarrassing sharing these symptoms with your doctor, try to be a accurate in your descriptions as possible as the symptoms may tell the doctor which area of the GI tract is affected.

The doctor must test the stool for blood before offering a diagnosis because the intake foods such as red beets can give the stool the same appearance as bleeding from the digestive tract. A blood count helps to decide if the patient is anemic and also gives an idea of the extent of the bleeding.

The treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and bleeding symptoms involve different methods. Generally injecting chemicals directly into a bleeding site through an endoscope can control active bleeding from the upper GI tract. Heat treatment and laser therapy can also be used in some cases. Once bleeding stops, medicines are prescribed to prevent recurrence of bleeding. If you notice blood in your stools you should make a doctor’s appointment immediately.

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Flatulence is a common problem among people. But for those with a hypersensitive intestinal tract, like irritable bowel, flatulence can trigger the IBS symptoms.

Flatulence is the act of expelling intestinal gas from the anus. The gas that is produced within the gastrointestinal track is either swallowed air (usually taken in when a person drinks or eats) or gas produced by bacteria present in the intestines, primarily the colon.

Sometimes, flatulence is also linked to conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. However, there will be other associated symptoms if this is the case, such as abdominal pain, bloating, and abnormal bowel habits such as diarrhea or constipation.

Flatulence is a normal part of life and a result of good digestion. An average person can expel gas about 16-20 times every day and the amount of expelled gas may range from as little as one cup to as much as one half gallon per day.

The main components of the expelled gas include odorless vapors such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and sometimes methane. However, the unpleasant odor is due to the hydrogen sulfide that is released by bacteria in the large intestine.

Flatulence occurs when the digestion of food is not completed in the stomach and small intestine. This undigested food, primarily sugars and polysaccharides, comes to large intestine and is digested by the bacteria present in the large intestine.

Different gases are produced in the process. The amount of the gas produced varies from individual to individual. Some people with more gas-producing bacteria in their colon experience more flatulence. Some people have more of the particular bacteria that produce more gas. Other people suffer from incomplete digestion of food in the small intestines, which can lead to an increased amount of undigested foods reaching the colon.

Some conditions, which interfere with digestion, like lactose intolerance and celiac disease can lead to excessive gas. With these conditions bacteria have more undigested food in the colon thus resulting in more gas. In some people, gas producing bacteria can spread from large intestine into the small intestine. Due to availability of undigested food in the small intestine, bacteria produce more gas.

There are foods, which cause more flatulence than others do because they contain more indigestible carbohydrates. These foods pass through the small intestine and arrive in the large intestine without being fully digested. This results in more flatulence.

Foods such as fruits, vegetables, oatmeal and legumes are often the worst offenders. These foods have high quantity of soluble fibers. Generally, fibers have many health benefits. They keep your digestive tract in good working order, regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and help preventing heart problems. However, soluble fiber dissolves in water forming a gelatinous substance in the bowels, which can result in the formation of gas.

Bacteria in the colon thrive on the indigestible fiber. People who have a flatulence problem should avoid or carefully test soluble fibers to see if they are contributing to intestinal gas. Sometimes people who have constipation as the main symptom in irritable bowel syndrome experience more flatulence and pass more gas compared to other persons.

While evaluating the problem of irritable bowel flatulence or excessive flatulence in a patient, the physician may ask the patient to count the number of times he/she passes gas in a day. This count helps the physician in confirming the presence of excessive flatulence. However, determining the amount of passed gas is not always easy, but an estimate can be made when the results are checked and compared to the diet eaten.

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Many people suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and the numbers seem are increasing. Some of the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome include abdominal pain, flatulence, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, urgency with defecation, and incomplete sensation of defecation.  There are many reasons for irritable bowel syndrome, and it is believed that that IBS and parasites are correlated.

It is worth noting that IBS on its own will not cause intestinal complication or damage, and children with irritable bowel syndrome continue to grow and develop normally and don’t show any sign of retarded growth.

However, although there are no physical symptoms of IBS, there are social and psychological issues that often accompany the conditions.  One study suggested that around 60% of the people who have IBS also have a psychological disorder like anxiety or depression.  However, it was not clear if they were contributory to the condition, or were a result of the IBS symptoms.

In medical studies there is an indication that intestinal parasites living inside the body of many people might be the cause of their IBS.

Parasites can be present in the liver, intestines, brain, circulatory system, skin and other organs of the body. Conditions such as diarrhea, malaise, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, bloating, flatulence, skin problems, itching, rashes, anorexia, and other rare diseases can result from a parasitic infestation.

Growth of parasites in a person’s body may occur for a number of reasons. Vitamin and mineral deficiency in the diet increases the chances of the person getting parasitic infection. High intake of foods that are rich in carbohydrate and alkaline and a low protein intake in the diet have been found to make some parasitic infection worse. A person eating high amount of sugars in the diet can also create an environment that allows the parasites to thrive.

Irritable bowel syndrome is related to the working of the large intestine. In the digestion process, partially digested food from the small intestine enters the large intestine. The large intestine absorbs water and nutrients from the food. The remaining content slowly moves on towards rectum and is finally excreted out of the body in the form of stools.

For the excretion of stools, the muscles of the large intestine and the rest of the body work together. When there is some interruption in the process, the undigested food inside the large intestine are not able to move normally, resulting in constipation or diarrhea.

Parasitic infection, stress, and emotional conflict are the major reasons of irritable bowel syndrome. Diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome in a patient involves analyzing the medical history, a physical examination, and laboratory tests.

Lab tests are generally decided upon after reviewing the patient’s history and physical examination results and are performed to assess for infection and inflammation.

However, testing a stool samples for parasite presence is not particularly reliable unless the patient has acute parasite infection. The standard medical tests available do not have high success rate in determining parasite infection unless it is chronic. Moreover, normal laboratory tests only detect the presence of only about five- percent of the common varieties of parasites.

For the treatment of IBS and parasites in the body, you have a number of options. Dietary changes can provide a marked improvement, making the intestinal environment more healthy and hostile to the bacterial infection.  Also medication is available that can kill parasites. Other options include herbal cleansing products, natural foods, and some essential oils. Speak to your doctor if you think you have a parasite infection.

Don’t forget to sign up for the free newsletter that has proven methods for managing IBS naturally. In the newsletter you’ll also find more information on complications like IBS and parasites.