Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

IBS and the Impact of the Body

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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is becoming more common in the western world the exact cuase is unkown and varies from person to person who are affected by IBS - the key factors in IBS syptoms are thought to be poor diet, stress, drugs alcohol and chemical/pesticide usage.

IBS causes the stomach, intestines ( bowels, or gut) to become sensitive to many external influences. These are what can cause the wide variety of bowel symptoms. There is as of yet no known cure only ways to help to live with the condition and ease the syptoms.

IBS and the modern world

Estimates suggest that anything upto 10-20% of the UK's population could be affected by IBS at sometime duringt heir lives, some doctors belive it may be even higher as not all cases of IBS are rePorted to their doctor and not on every occasion.

IBS is more common in women and as much as twice as many women reporting to be affected by the condition. Cateristically IBS usually starts around the age 20 to 30 years old, but can affect any age group.

Common Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome can include . abdominal pains in the lower region and more especially on the left hand side.

Bloating and wind especially after eating and may be worse by eating certain food types.

Constipation, diarrhoea . unable to go to the toilet regularly or going to much and having diarrhoea when going. And or symptoms of both and exchange from one to the other. Also common is having the need to go urgently on and very frequently.

Difficulty with the bowels opening and/or a feeling as if they haven't emptied fully when you have been.

Nausea and vomitting.

The symptoms vary from person to perosn who have IBS and some report all with other reporting only one or two of these IBS related symptoms.

There is evidence that IBS is and can be made worse by lifestyle and not taking time out to relax.

These symptoms are often made worse by psychological stress, over works worries and/or when physically affected . disease/infection, exhaustion, medical conditions. Certain foods and fodd types have also been known to aggravate IBS as well as alcohol, fatty foods, sugary foods and processed foods can all have an impact on IBS.

What treatments are available?

Drugs can be prescirbed to motivate the bowel and elleviate the syptoms but these will not solve the underlying problems and can ofetn have aworsening affect when prooplonged use for the treatment of IBS.

Here at Inside&Out we offer many treatments for Irritable Bowel Syndrome in our Edinburgh Salon to help fight against IBS and the symptoms, we can help by providing Colonic Hydrotherapy sessions to cleanse the bowel especially helpful when someone has suffered IBS for a long period and has become intoxified. This happens when the bowel and intestines are unable to cleanse themsleves properly and there is a build of of waste on the colon wall.

We aslo offer dietary advice, herbal supplements and many excellent detox programmes to kick start the system.

Relaxation can play a big part in alleviating IBS and we offer a wide range of Holistic therpaies to help relax from massage to Reiki. A combination of these treatements can go a long way to helping IBS and the symptoms of IBS.

What can I do to help myself?

If your main symptom is diarrhoea, you should try not to have tea, coffee, alcohol, spicy food and the artificial sweetener sorbitol, as these can increase your symptoms.

If you have constipation, you should try gradually introducing more fibre-rich foods, such as bran, fruit and vegetables, into your diet.

If bloating or wind is a problem, cutting out gas-producing foods, such as beans and green vegetables (eg cabbage and broccoli), may help.

Some people find that certain foods regularly bring on symptoms, but this isn't always easy to discover. It's best not to miss out one food after another from your diet to see if it's causing your symptoms, as you may not be getting all the nutrients you need in your diet. Advice from a dietitian can be useful.

If stress triggers your IBS, learning stress management or relaxation techniques may be useful. You may also find keeping a diary to compare your symptoms with life events helpful. If certain events are identified as triggers, it may be easier to deal with the stress of them.

Taking regular exercise helps to keep your bowel movements regular and reduce stress.

If you need to use painkillers, paracetamol is less likely than ibuprofen or aspirin to make your IBS worse.

Contact us at our Edinburgh Salon if you would like further information about IBS or the treatments we provide.
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