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).

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Stop Relationship Stress and Create Your Own Health Remedies


Author: Pat Swan, MS, Life and Relationship Coach
Human beings need relationships. Your relationships, past, present, personal or professional, represent a major source of stress in your life. Chronic stress causes breakdown of your immune system. This leads to many emotional and physical disorders including heart disease, fibromyalgia, cancer, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, and depression.

You can manage your stress many ways. Stress management strategies include deep breathing, relaxation exercises, physical exercise, meditation, and yoga.

But did you know that if you reduce your interpersonal stress you can improve health? Most of my clients who suffer from depression, anxiety or other mental illnesses complain about one thing – relationship problems at work or at home.

Like most people, I am sure you have heard a million times that you must quit smoking to reduce risks of cancer and enhance health. Have you heard the results of divorce studies about men and divorce? These indicate that men going through divorce experience stress related damage equal to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

Is the opposite true? If you reduce conflict in your relationships and avoid divorce, do you create a health remedy?

I’m sure you know that we must exercise, eat healthy and watch our cholesterol if we want to avoid a heart attack. But have you heard that an element closely linked to heart disease has been defined as the “hostility “ factor, or “cynical mistrust of others?” then it must follow that if you improve your conflict resolution skills and manage your anger you create cardiovascular health remedies.

We know that most individuals surviving cancer will try many complementary and alternative options to lengthen their lives. But did you know that studies have shown that women surviving breast cancer can double their survival time if they are involved in a close, intimate support network?

These and many other studies confirm the fact that healthier relationships lead to better health, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Most of us did not learn effective interpersonal skills at home. So why do so few individuals consider relationship skills training right from the start, before the stress becomes chronic? Probably because we haven’t been made aware of the facts.

The good news is that anyone can improve their relationships through learning simple skills including active or reflective listening, conflict resolution, behavioral changes, and thought management, among others.
If you want less stress, and more fun and fulfillment in your life, consider exploring options for relationship skill building.

Whether the relationship is past or present, personal or professional, you can make it better and get healthier in the process.

About the Author

Pat Swan, M.S., LMFT: Life & Relationship Coach, Speaker, Trainer, Author of “Watch Out! Your Relationships Can Be Hazardous To Your Health.” http://www.RelationshipSkillville.com and http://www.StopRelationshipStress.com . Mailto:pat@patswan.com .


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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

  • Food intolerance as a cause of irritable bowel syndrome

    Twenty-one patients with irritable bowel syndrome followed a strict elimination diet, consisting of a single meat, a single fruit, and distilled or spring water, for one week. Symptoms disappeared in 14 of the 21 patients. Subsequently, individual food challenges identified the following symptom-evoking foods (number of cases in parentheses): wheat (9), corn (5), dairy products (4), coffee (4), tea (3), citrus fruits (2). Jejunal biopsies were normal in all nine cases of wheat intolerance, in ...
    Author: Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients
    CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE

  • Gut feeling: irritable bowel syndrome affects up to 20 percent of Americans. Herbs, supplements, nutrition, and hypnosis can get your insides back on track

    IT'S 2005, AND WE'LL TALK about anything. From fetishes to toenail fungus, maximum frankness pervades chat shows and chat rooms. Yet only about half of Americans with irritable bowel syndrome discuss their symptoms with their doctors, says gastroenterologist G. Richard Locke, M.D., professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minn. When they do, it's because the constipation, diarrhea, or pain has gotten so disruptive that it's affecting their ability to function ...
    Author: Natural Health
    CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE

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    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)...

    more IBS info


    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...

    more IBS info


    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...

    more IBS info


    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...

    more IBS info


    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...

    more IBS info

  • 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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