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Natural Remedies for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is also known as IBS. This is a condition suffered by
one in five Americans and is thought to be undiagnosed and untreated in as
many as 70% of sufferers. IBS is a problem for women more often than men, but
it is not associated with more severe colon related diseases. There is no
inflammation of the colon when someone has IBS and no other growths or
obstructions.
Modern medical doctors are not sure what causes this condition. Opinions
abound, and the most common ones include being sensitive to certain foods,
reactions to stress, immune system differences, or a person's colon and bowel
not working normally in general.
There are different symptoms for each IBS sufferer too. Common symptoms
include abdominal cramping, bloating and pain. Some people with IBS will have
chronic diarrhea though, while others will have chronic constipation instead.
Still others will bounce back and forth between those two states.
These symptoms have been labeled with other names over the years, the most
common being a spastic colon. The symptoms often increase when eating certain
foods, eating big meals or experiencing heavy amounts of stress or
depression. Since nerve endings connect the colon to every part of the body,
almost anything can cause problems similar to IBS. Because of this, a variety
of treatments are often tried.
Depending on the person, their doctor, and the severity of their IBS symptoms,
strong prescription medications may be used to help relieve the constipation
or diarrhea. We don't agree with this approach, however, and feel that more
natural remedies for
irritable bowel syndrome should be tried first. Many doctors, however, will suggest these
alternative approaches before suggesting medications.
The first approach to managing IBS is changes in your diet. If your IBS is
caused due to intolerance or allergies of certain foods for instance, removing
those from your diet can create drastic improvements. Often people have a
lactose or gluton intolerance without knowing it.
Some people are also more sensitive to foods which contain heavy amounts of
grease, or they're IBS problems flare up more after greasy meals. Another
common trigger for IBS symptoms is eating large and heavy meals. Simply by
cutting down the amount you eat in one sitting, and eating fewer but smaller
meals each day, can help relieve IBS symptoms.
Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can help with IBS, particularly
when constipation is a chronic problem. Many people try taking extra fiber
supplements, but these can actually cause the gas and bloating problems to
become worse.
Eating fruits and vegetables which regulate the stools can be quite beneficial
however. Bananas for instance, will help relieve both diarrhea and
constipation.
Other natural treatments recommended for managing IBS are stress management,
exercise, and hypnosis.
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