Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Cramps, constipation, discomfort, these are some of the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. IBS is a syndrome that affects about 35 million people in the United States and I am one of them. IBS is heavily affected by diet and nutrition. IBS has many symptoms and can cause many others. There is hope for sufferers of irritable bowel such as nutrition. Nutrition plays a large role in IBS, it can help you deal with symptoms or it can make them worse. IBS is more widespread than anyone ever thought and you can help yourself if you have it.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition that affects the colon. It doesn't hurt or harm the colon in anyway. What happens to the colon is this: when a person with IBS encounters one of the things that trigger the symptoms the intestine starts to contract. This is what causes the cramps. The colon will contract but it won't be at the right time to allow for stool to travel smoothly. The ability to have a bowel movement is very complex. As food moves from the stomach into the intestine the intestine will contract at certain times allowing the stool to move through the colon and allow some of the nutrients to be absorbed into the body. Everything must be timed with the sphincter muscles to allow for a bowel movement. It is this sequence that goes wrong that makes you have diarrhea or constipation.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a painful condition. It doesn't affect everyone in the same way. One of the symptoms is constipation, but on the other hand you can also have diarrhea. Both of the symptoms also include cramps, bloating or gas. The pain of the cramps is usually intense. The pain is usually relieved by having a bowel movement. The cramps can be caused by a number of things. Stress can bring on the symptoms of irritable bowel. The stress of going school or work can bind your bowels and can easily bring on the cramps. Large meals can also bring symptoms upon you. IBS can be made worse if you suffer from lactose intolerance. You then not only have the discomfort from IBS but you also have it from the lactose intolerance. The constipation or diarrhea can also be worsened. There are many things that can set it off. Whether it is stress or caffeine or alcohol, if you know that you have IBS then learn what causes your symptoms and monitor it closely.

So what do you do if many of the symptoms related to irritable bowel syndrome associate with you? The answer is go to your physician and if he feels you have been diagnosed he will give you an x-ray called barium enema which is where your doctor will x-ray your bowel. He may also give you an endoscopy which is where a long thin tube is inserted into your bowel and at the end of this tube there is a camera so your physician will be able to clearly see the inside of the bowel so he can check for any problems that may be occurring.

Although there is no cure to completely