Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder characterized with the most common symptoms including abdominal cramping or pain or discomfort, bloating, gas, diarrhoea, constipation, depression and anxiety causing a huge amount of discomfort and distress. IBS affects the colon, or large bowel, which is the part of the digestive tract that stores stool. It is one of the most common disorders diagnosed in adult population and is more common in women than in men. Irritable bowel syndrome is not a serious disease nor is it contagious, inherited, or cancerous. However, IBS often disrupts daily living activities.

IBS occurs in people due to the presence of a colon, or large intestine that is primarily sensitive and reactive to certain foods and stress. For this reason IBS is also known as spastic colon, functional bowel disease, and mucous colitis. IBS may also be due to a bacterial infection in the gastrointestinal tract. It is found that women suffering from IBS may have more symptoms during their menstrual cycle, thus indicating that reproductive hormones can worsen IBS problems.

IBS symptoms can be controlled with diet, stress management and prescribed medications. The most common suggested medications for IBS include iber supplements or laxatives for relieving constipation or medicines like Lomotil or loperamide (Imodium) to decrease diarrhea, such as Lomotil or loperamide (Imodium). In order to control colon muscle spasms and reduce abdominal pain, an antispasmodic is generally prescribed. Alosetron hydrochloride (Lotronex) is a medication used specifically to treat IBS and which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for women with severe IBS. Stress management is an important in treating IBS as it affects the immune system. Hence it is important to follow certain stress management options such stress reduction or relaxation therapies such as meditation, regular exercise such as walking or yoga and
getting adequate sleep. It is also impotant to follow certain diet changes and avoid some foods and drinks that make IBS worse. Also, tracking your daily intake of food can help in controlling IBS symptoms.