Symptoms

Constipation or diarrhea shortly after meals, over a period of several months, usually accompanied by abdominal cramps or bloating and increased intestinal gas.

Bowel movements different in frequency or consistency from your normal pattem.

Treatment Options

Various herbal and dietary remedies may be effective in preventing or soothing the discomfort of diarrhea and constipation. Relaxation techniques may be particularly effective in coping with stress- related aspects of the problem.

Acupuncture

An acupuncturist will determine an appropriate approach by asking you questions about stresses in your life that may be at the root of the problem. Treatment for IBS typically involves 10 to 12 sessions in which needles are inserted along the liver, spleen, and kidney meridians. For symptomatic relief of diarrhea, the acupuncturist will probably insert the needles near the navel and left knee. To treat a bad bout of diarrhea, the practitioner may employ moxibustion, in which heat is applied near the points, for quick relief.

Exercise

Herbal Beauty

Walking at an aerobic pace for 20 to 30 minutes gets the heart pumping, stimulates the digestive process, and relaxes the body. Vigorous noncompetitive exercise is also recognized as an effective way of combating and controlling stress. (Competitive sports, however, can add to stress for many individuals.) Yoga not only conditions the muscles and connective tissue but also is thought to tone the internal organs, including the digestive tract, and release excess tension from the body.

Herbal Therapies

For diarrhea, make a carob (Ceratonia siliqua) tea: Pour 1 cup hot water over 1 tsp roasted carob powder. Drink three times a day.

To calm an overactive gastrointestinal tract, try a European favorite: Take one or two enteric- coated peppermint (Mentha piperita) oil capsules between meals, three times daily. Reduce the dose if you have a burning sensation when you move your bowels. Another option is peppermint tea: Steep 1 tbsp dried peppermint leaves in a cup of boiling water for 30 minutes; drink three to four cups a day. Infusions of chamomile (Matricaria recutita), marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) root,—– bayberry (Myrica spp.), or slippery elm (Ulmus fulva) also are soothing to the intestinal tract and can be made the same way.

Homeopathy

A homeopathic practitioner will determine which remedy is appropriate to get at the root cause of the IBS. For relief of occasional diarrhea, try prepared remedies available in health food stores. Ignatia may be helpful if you are having spasms of pain and diarrhea after emotional upsets. If you are passing offensive-smelling gas and mucus in the stools, take Mercurius vivus. If sudden cramplike pains are relieved by bending over, take Colocynthis. If your stools are soft but you have to strain to pass them, try Nux vomica.

Mind/Body Medicine

A number of techniques have been found helpful for IBS, including training in muscle relaxation. After four to six weeks of daily practice, you will learn how to relax your previously tense muscles and relieve symptoms brought on by stress.

Biofeedback training is another technique that has become accepted by more and more conventional doctors and often is covered by insurance. In one form of biofeedback, painless electrodes are placed on the forehead to monitor muscle tension as an indicator of stress. Patients are taught to relax their muscles by actuating audio or visual signals that indicate the level of tension in the muscle.

Of all the relaxation techniques, the most familiar may be hypnotherapy. A practitioner uses the power of suggestion to teach a patient in a hypnotic state how to relax the smooth muscles of the intestines. Guided imagery, often taught by yoga instructors and massage therapists, can also teach you new ways to relax yourself.

Nutrition and Diet

Certain foods may contribute to IBS by irritating your gastrointestinal tract. Most things that people say taste good—from hamburgers and fries to ice cream and chocolate—are made with lots of fat. Whether it’s vegetable oil or animal fat, or saturated or unsaturated, dietary fat overload is something many people simply can’t handle. Other known irritants to some people’s digestive tracts are eggs and dairy products, spicy foods, and stimulants, including caffeinated beverages and white sugar; decaffeinated beverages are also a problem, as are other forms of sugar such as molasses, corn syrup, and fructose.

If you are like most Americans, you are not eating enough fiber. To correct a dietary fiber imbalance:

Gradually increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and bran in your diet, or

Take 1 tbsp bran stirred into a glass of fruit juice or water every day, or

Take soluble fiber, like psyllium (Plantago psyllium) seed. Stir 1 tbsp into a glass of cold water and drink once a day. When you are taking supplemental fiber, be sure to drink several extra glasses of plain water a day. You may experience a certain amount of intestinal gas at first, but it should subside as your body adjusts to the new regimen.

Prevention

Healthy outlets for stress are great preventives to many gastrointestinal problems, including IBS. Get regular exercise—anything from a brisk 20-minute walk to a round of golf or tennis or a half-hour’s worth of swimming laps. And take 10 minutes twice a day to just relax and let go of tensions.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Various herbal, medical and dietary remedies