The Different Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatments
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a disorder affecting the gastrointestinal. The origin of this disorder is still unknown. But its symptoms include bloating, gassiness, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and constipation. And since it is still not clear what’s causing IBS, all the treatments for this disorder are just intended to control the symptoms.
Changing Diet
IBS is a disorder that involves the colon and mainly focused on the bowel movement. Since IBS caused constipation and diarrhea what most people do is to change their diet. Modifying diet may control symptoms of IBS but without the proper guidance of a doctor its effect may not last for long.
Why? Because you need to be properly diagnosed by a doctor before you change your diet. You see there are certain foods that are not advisable for IBS patients and your doctor can tell you exactly the foods that you have to avoid and eat. Take for instance, without a doctor to diagnose your condition you may mistook lactose intolerance for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Medical Treatment
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a problem that only happens occasionally but there are also some IBS patients that experience much lasting symptoms and often entails for medications.
One of the most common treatment prescribe is eating fiber-rich foods. The main objective of this is to help the digestive tract to expand in order to reduce the possibility of spasm while food is being transmitted and digested. Plus fiber is known for promoting regular bowel movement reducing constipation.
However, it is very important to add fiber to the diet slowly since it may worsen IBS symptoms like bloating and gassiness. Stress is another factor that triggers IBS. Doctors may advice ways on how to reduce stress like eating a well-balanced meal and of course exercising.
Smoking was also found out to worsen Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. IBS smoker patients are advised to quit smoking or suffer the consequences. It is also advisable for IBS patients especially those with food intolerance, to keep a food journal to help them determine foods that they have to avoid and foods that they can eat.
Medications
There are antispasmodic medicines that are given to IBS patients to control or slow down the action of the digestive tract to reduce spasms. However different people react to medicines in different ways so it may work for some but not for others. For those who may not have a good reaction to this type of medicine there are other available treatments that may be applied to control symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Anti-diarrhea medicines are also prescribed to IBS patients that are experiencing severe loose bowel movement. There are lots of over-the-counter anti-diarrhea medicines that can be bought even without a doctor’s prescription. This is all right for simple diarrhea cases but for IBS you need to consult your doctor before you try to purchase any medicine.
Antidepressants are also very effective for controlling Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms especially when taken in small doses. There are also new types of medications that are especially made for patients that do not react favorably with the aforementioned medicines. Consult your doctor for medicines that will help you to control IBS symptoms. Do not self-medicate since it may do you more harm than good.
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