Irritable Bowel Syndrome
March 22, 2021 | Farah Jassawalla

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

 Overview

 

Irritable bowel syndrome, abbreviated as IBS, refers to a common disorder of the large intestine. This disorder is often mixed up with inflammatory bowel disease, which is shortened as IBD. These are two separate conditions with different symptoms and effects.

Irritable bowel syndrome is known by a few other names. These are irritable colon, spastic colon, spastic colitis, and mucous colitis. All these names refer to a group of problems of the intestine that occur together. In general, irritable bowel syndrome is a long term condition and does not have much of a cure.

Another misconception about the irritable bowel syndrome is that is increases the chances of gastrointestinal cancers. In truth, that is not the case. However, this condition certainly impacts your life in several ways.

Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The most common, typically found symptoms of this disease are as follows:

Diarrhea

Bloating and swelling of the stomach

Gas; flatulence or excessive wind

Cramping and abdominal pain

Constipation

Episodes of both constipation and diarrhea together

Irritable bowel syndrome is more common in women as compared to men. Generally, women experience more IBS symptoms near or around the period of menstruation. Many complain these problems during the period as well. Other than that, pregnant and menopausal women may also tend to get affected by irritable bowel syndrome. 

Symptoms of IBS vary in severity from person to person. Besides that, these symptoms may last for short periods with intervals or appear continuously. For example, they may last three days or continue for three months on end.

There are additional problems that arise due to the presence of IBS symptoms in daily life. These include lethargy, backache, depression, anxiety, and generally feeling sick. Hence, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome tend to have a deep psychological impact on the person experiencing the problem, apart from leaving them physically unwell.

The pain and cramping resulted in IBS is often severe enough to interfere with a person’s daily life. If not much, it can quickly trigger bad moods. In most cases, the pain goes away upon moving your bowels.

Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

As mentioned above, there is no cure for IBS, hence treatment mainly includes relief from symptoms. Certain life changes are encouraged by doctors to keep the symptoms under control. Typically, non-medicinal remedies for treating irritable bowel syndrome include the following:

·       Regular physical exercises. This includes, walking, jogging, stretching exercises, etc.

·       Avoiding caffeine since it aggravates the symptoms by stimulating the intestines

·       Having smaller meals at a time

·       Avoiding oily, spicy, or fried foods

·       Stress management. A person may opt for therapy or other stress management methods for this

·       Intake of probiotics

Medication for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

When it comes to medication for IBS, it is extremely important to be on the medication that suits you. There isn’t a single medication to treat this disease that works for everyone. Different people react differently to certain medications.

Another factor that affects the results of medicinal treatment is which kind of drugs you currently take. Therefore, you must tell your doctor your complete history so he can devise a treatment plan that is suitable for you. If you are looking for a diagnosis or treatment, you can book an online appointment with Shifa4U.

Typically, the medication used to treat symptoms of constipation include linaclotide and lubiprostone. You may also be prescribed antidepressants along with other drugs.

Farah Jassawalla

Farah Jassawalla is a graduate of the Lahore School of Economics. She is also a writer, and healthcare enthusiast, having closely observed case studies while working with Lahore's thriving general physicians at their clinics.