irritable bowel syndrome and ibs symtoms

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Your Journey into Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a disorder characterized most commonly by cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.

As its name indicates, Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a syndrome. That is, IBS is a combination of signs and symptoms, but not a disease. IBS is classified as a functional disorder. A functional disorder refers to a condition where the primary abnormality is an altered physiological function (the way the body works), rather than an identifiable inflammatory, infectious, structural, or biochemical cause.

Research also indicates that IBS is a multi-faceted disorder. For example, the symptoms of IBS result from what seems to be a disturbance or imbalance in the interaction between the intestines, the brain, sensory function, and the autonomic nervous system that alters regulation of bowel motility (motor function).

The articles on this site are provided to help you to better understand Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and your options for relief of these symptoms.

Click Here right arrow For a Special Report on the causes and treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

How Is Stress Related to IBS


How Is Stress Related to IBS?

For those with symptoms of IBS, they may have heard the stress is a factor that causes or is related to IBS. If you know the function of stress with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, it can give you new options for fighting IBS. When learning about IBS, learning it’s relation to stress is one of the factors in determining what to do to prevent IBS from constantly occurring.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is known as a syndrome from the brain to the gut. This means that particular nerves from the brain link to the abdomen area where the pain is occurring. It is also known to be directly linked to the colon. Because of this link, stress can be said to be directly related to Irritable Bowel Syndrome. However, it is also known that it is not a direct cause, but rather, a link from stress to the reactions in your intestinal tract. Most doctors will say that this syndrome, while related to stress, is not a direct outcome from stressful events. Stress, then, is known to simply cause your body to become irritated in this area.

One of the reasons why stress is said to be related to IBS, is that it has often related to colonic spasms. Because the colon is usually part of the response of the nervous system, it may relate directly to being out of control when anxiety or stress is part of your life. If you are under a lot of pressure for some reason, you may not that your IBS symptoms will begin to become stronger.

Because stress is related directly to IBS, it is well known that finding ways to relieve your stress will also help in calming down your gastrointestinal tract. There are several who do this through making sure that they relax at certain points of the day in order to prevent IBS from acting up. Others will find that they will need to get psychological therapy or begin taking an anti-depressant pill. This will help them to control emotions and stress, without allowing it to get out of hand.

Another type of stress that may be related to IBS is the stress that is already in the intestinal and colon area. IBS is known to be a muscle spasm that results from tension. Finding ways to relax your body through physical exercise or other forms of physical care will often times allow for this stress to be lowered. There are several who state that this stress level will calm down by them stretching their body. This allows the muscles to relax in that area.

If you have emotional, mental or physical stress, it can be directly related to IBS. While it does not cause the symptoms or reaction from the body, it is known to play an important part in the syndrome. Lowering your anxiety levels, physically, mentally and emotionally will help your IBS symptoms to also lower. Because IBS is a brain to gut syndrome, it can be said that the stresses in daily life will directly relate to how our body reacts.


For information on a number of other common health problems, be sure to check out our home page at Common Health Problems.

Health problems are becoming more common as the "baby boom" generation gets older and will continue to do so for the next 20 years or so. Bowel problems are no exception.

 

Risk Factors for IBS

The main risk factors for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) include:

  • Sex
  • Family History

For example, you are far more likely to have IBS if you're young and female. In fact, two to three times as many women as men have the condition.

In addition, IBS does seem to run in families, possibly suggesting a genetic cause for the condition.

However, at the current time, the precise cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is not known.

New Irritable Bowel Information

  • Irritable bowel syndrome

    A GROWING NUMBER of African-Americans--especially women--are being diagnosed with the gastrointestinal disorder known as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

    Doctors say about 15 percent of African-American women who complain of abdominal pain have been diagnosed with the disease, which is characterized by severe cramping and diarrhea, or bloating and constipation. Overall IBS affects up to 20 percent of the population, according to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestina ...
    Author: Ebony
    CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE

  • Is it Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Undiagnosed Celiac Disease?
    Your doctor tells you your stomach problems are from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). So he treats (or mistreats) you for your symptoms when in fact you don't have IBS. What your doctor may have missed is that you have a little known condition, celiac disease, and you don't have to suffer anymore because relief of your problems is only a change of diet away.

    The National Institute of Health, estimates that over three million Americans have undiagnosed celiac disease. Why so many? Because o ...
    Author: Peter Berlin
    CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE

    IBS in the News


    12/22/2011
    $6.75M Awarded To Case Western Reserve To Study IBD
    Investigators at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine received a $6.75 million Program Project Grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to study the role of innate immunity in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)...

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    12/01/2011
    Risk Factors For Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency Are Similar To Risk Factors For Developing Multiple Sclerosis: UB Study
    Summary: A vascular condition called chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI), which has attracted global attention as possibly being correlated with MS has, for the first time, been studied for the presence of risk factors in subjects who do not have a neurological disease...

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    11/22/2011
    Probiotics For Gut Health: VSL#3 Has Designations For Specific GI Issues
    As clinical studies continue to validate the use of probiotics to help promote general gastrointestinal health, a growing U.S. market1 for probiotics indicates that the U.S. healthcare community and consumers alike are recognizing the value of these beneficial microorganisms...

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    11/02/2011
    Targeted Antibiotic Drug Safest Among Recommended Treatments For Irritable Bowel Disease
    Among the most commonly used treatments for irritable bowel syndrome which affects as many as 20 percent of the United States population a targeted antibiotic was shown to be the safest in a new study by Cedars-Sinai researchers, based on an analysis of 26 large-scale clinical trials. The study, for presentation at the American College of Gastroenterology annual meeting in Washington, D.C...

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    11/01/2011
    Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea Responds To Probiotics
    'Good bugs' look promising as anti-inflammatory agent for patients with ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, chronic fatigue syndrome In four different studies presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 76th Annual Scientific meeting in Washington, DC, researchers explored the effectiveness of probiotics for antibiotic-associated diarrhea; as an anti-inflammat...

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  • 10 Step Detox Program By Dr. Janet Hull
    Detoxification program for Radiation, Heavy Metals, Mercury, and Food Chemicals such as Aspartame!

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