Irritable Bowel Syndrome, well known
as IBS, is a very common disorder of the intestines
that leads to crampy pain, gassiness, bloating and
changes in bowel habits. Some people with IBS have
constipation and others have diarrhoea. The IBS victims
often feel an urgent need to move the bowels. Some
people experience both. Sometimes the person has a
crampy urge to move the bowels but cannot do so.
IBS is just a mild annoyance, but for some people
it can be disabling. They may be afraid to go to social
events, to work or travel even short distances. Irritable
Bowel Syndrome is also called Spastic Colitis or Spastic
does it occur?
It is a functional disorder as there is no sign of
disease when the colon is examined and so probably
results from disturbances in intestinal activity,
anxiety neurosis, stress and dietary deficiencies
or intolerances. Over stimulation of the nerves that
trigger bowel activity results in excessive bowel
contractions, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or constipation.
Taking Tobacco, Coffee, Alcohol, Irregularities
Medications – Antibiotic therapy and
causes a great deal of discomfort and distress; but,
it does not cause permanent harm to the intestines
and does not lead to intestinal bleeding of the bowel
or to any serious disease. Many victims mistake this
for other inflammatory bowel disorders such as amoebiasis,
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Inflammation
of the small intestine is usually called Crohn's disease
while inflammation of the rectum and right portions
of the colon is called Ulcerative colitis. In these
disorders symptoms include diarrhoea, bleeding, abdominal
pain, fever and weight loss. The victim may experience
mucous sticky stools and seen on the motion.
Amoebiasis is caused by a microscopic
parasite called Entamoeba histolytica. Anyone can
get amoebiasis. It is infected by swallowing the cyst
stage of the parasite in contaminated food or water.
It can also be spread by person-to-person contact.
Faecal material from infected people may contaminate
water or food, which may serve as a vehicle to infect
others. Examination of stools under a microscope is
the most common way to diagnose amoebiasis and other
|What makes us Gassy?
is another common problem of gastric ailments. On
an average, a person generates 1 to 3 pints of gas
each day, which consist of nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen
and small quantities of methane. The causes of gas
include swallowing air while eating or drinking, increased
intestinal activity and excessive bacterial fermentation
of food components in the bowel. A foul breath and
very offensive flatus warn the individual that he
is suffering from an inflammatory bowel disorder.
Abdominal distention and discomfort may give rise
to pain through the abdominal organs. Often they mimic
serious illness as if related to the organs.
Carbohydrate rich foods are often the
worst offenders. More gas eminates from sugar and
starches. Colonies of harmless bacteria in the colon
eat the carbohydrates, giving off the by-products
-- hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane in some people.
A special type of sugar called Raffinose is found
in beans and in smaller measures in some vegetables
and grains. The human body lacks the enzyme called
Alpha-galactosidase to digest this sugar and so bacteria
in the colon have a feast.
| How to prevent?
| What are the reasons for constipation?
| Guidelines for early diagnosis
of digestive disorders
Irritable bowel syndrome is a challange to medical
field. Homoeopathy offers wonderful treatment to the
victims. I had treated many cases with very good results.We
give more importance not only to the disease symptoms
but also to the mental and physical symptoms of the
patient. We treat them as a seperate entity. It helps
to aid the patient from his anxiety and its associated
problems. Homoeopathic medicines often gives wonderful
results in an idiopathic, undiagnosed gastric disorders.
I remember a case of chronic diarrhoea of five years
duration. The patient was sixty years old lady, who
had gone through all types of investigations and studied
normal. I prescribed her medicines based on her symptom
totality, she responded surprisingly and became alright
within a period of seven days. Everyone in her family
were surprised and started taking homoeopathic medicines.
Several intestinal conditions labelled as incurables
are quite amenable to homoeopathy.
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