Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
It is a commonly found disorder of the digestive system. It is a group of symptoms representing functional disorder, not a disease. IBS is not considered dangerous for health in the sense that it does not cause other serious health problems but is quite bothersome and annoying. The condition may be acute or chronic, may change from time to time or may even disappear for some time.
Symptoms
The symptoms of IBS may vary from person to person but commonly found symptoms are:
- Bloating of abdomen and flatulence (gas).
- Abdominal cramps that may at times be strong enough to force the patient to bend double.
- Diarrhea or constipation. Diarrhea and constipation may also alternate with each other.
- The stools may be accompanied by mucus.
- The evacuation is unsatisfying, that is the evacuation of stool seems incomplete even though one may strain or wait for long.
- Need of going to the toilet soon or even immediately after the meal. In many cases it happens in the morning.
Causes
Modern medical science is unaware of the exact cause of IBS. Why the cramping of abdomen occurs is not known. If you ask for the cause, you would usually be given the explanation of how the intestines act, how the food is digested and moved through the system and that in case of IBS your system is not working correctly but why that happens is not explained. In my opinion it is only a dysfunction of the nervous system that controls the process of digestion. It occurs due to frequent and prolonged use of certain food items that vary from person to person and affect according to sensitivity of the person.
Treatment and Cure
- Modern Medical Science: IBS is said to have no cure with modern medical science. Management is offered through changes in the diet, lifestyle and stress reduction. The patient is usually advised to avoid taking fatty foods, milk products, alcohol and carbonated drinks et cetera but without an explanation of why should such food items be avoided. The advice also includes the use of fibrous foods.
- Home Remedies: Many conditions of IBS can be cured through simple home remedies. Thyme is one of those. Though the person suffering from IBS is not likely to be hypertensive, yet thyme should be used with care.
Actually, IBS is not difficult to cure. All that it takes is few homeopathic medicines and some changes in the diet according to symptoms. For example, avoiding milk products should only be recommended if the person has diarrhea and acidic food should be forbidden in case of constipation. This is because every food item has different effects on the body and digestive system. The recommendation must be according to what a person needs. It must not be generalized because body chemistry of everyone is not the same.