Archive for the ‘Irritable Bowel Syndrome’ Category

If you travel on a regular basis for either business or pleasure and suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), you will want to avoid the flare-ups that can occur with your condition. If you are suffering from IBS, it will be aid your travels if you find ways to monitor your symptoms and keep your digestive system under control.

Here are some tips for those who are traveling with IBS.

1. Relax. Stress will irritate your digestive system, and cause your IBS to flare up. Make sure that you get to the airport and have packed ahead of time, and you are avoiding any stressful situations that may arise.

2. Consider your method of travel. It may be easier to take a road trip rather than flying. However, if you are flying, make sure that you are sitting in the aisle and are close to a restroom. This not only gives you a feeling of being prepared, but also allows you to feel in control, which will prevent stress.

3. Know the available pit stops. If you are driving, you should pay attention to the distance between service stations, as well as where you would be able to stop if needed. This will help if your digestive system begins to flare.

4. Be prepared with lodging. Try to avoid staying in an accommodation that has a shared restroom. You may also want to see if you can arrive early or leave late. This will help to prepare for the journey.

5. Bring your medication. Always have your medication at hand when you are traveling. Knowing that it is in hand will help to calm your system down. Many will travel with an extra prescription bottle to keep in different areas, just in case they forget to keep it in hand whilst they are traveling.

Click here for part 2.

by Mike Spencer

Do you suffer from recurrent stomach pain accompanied with diarrhoea or constipation? You are not alone. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (or IBS) affects 10-20% of the people in our country. Women make up 70% of that number. Doctors diagnose IBS frequently in their offices. But what are the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome?

One of the most common symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome is frequent stomach pain in combination with explosive diarrhoea or loose bowel movements. Your symptoms may be mild or severe and usually alternate between the two from day to day.

Another one of the more common symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome is chronic constipation with stomach pain or discomfort. You may also have other symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome such as bloating, mucus in your bowel movement, or feeling that you have not finished your bowel movement. Still more symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are gas, a strong urge to have a bowel movement and mucus in your stool.

Frequently the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome alternate, but you usually have one symptom more predominantly than the other. The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome occur with no warning or reason. Therefore you need to learn what can cause your IBS to flare up.

The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome may worsen when you are stressed, do not eat healthy foods, or after eating a big meal. Some women experience more frequent symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome during their menstrual periods.

How do you learn to live with the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome? You try and learn what foods cause you to experience your symptoms. It is suggested that your fat intake has a big impact on the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Try to cut back on high fat intake and begin making a diary of what you eat and how much and write down when you have one of the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. This will help you pinpoint what triggers your symptoms. Then you can learn how to keep it from happening as often. There is no cure for IBS but you can learn to live with the symptoms and spread out the attacks.

The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can definitely be a nuisance and annoying but you can learn to deal with this. If you take the time to find your triggers you can help yourself to not have as many attacks. So equip yourself with knowledge and take back control!

About the Author: Mike Spencer is committed to helping people promote and protect their health, and has been doing so for many years. Here Mike talks about how to help yourself if you’re suffering with Irritable Bowel syndrome (IBS) and make your life much easier. Read more about IBS here: http://www.irritable-bowel-syndrome-news.org Mike Spencer http://www.ibs-help-online.com, http://www.irritable-bowel-syndrome-support.com

by The IBS Diva

Let me ask you something. What do Tyra Banks, Camille Grammer and Cybil Sheppard all have in common? They all suffer from irritable bowel syndrome – along with about 20% of the rest of the population, according to recent studies.

I’m the IBS Diva. And I say having irritable bowel syndrome doesn’t have to be a death sentence. There are ways not only to cope but to thrive and live a happy, healthy life. Yes, I know, it can be a bit embarrassing at times – always searching for the nearest bathroom whenever you go out, getting up in the middle of movies and only eating certain foods.

The IBS Diva doesn’t let that get in the way of her good time, though. And you shouldn’t let get in the way of yours, either.

Here are the IBS Diva’s three simple pieces of advice for coping with irritable bowel syndrome.

1. You’re still fabulous, honey. Act like it. Change your mindset about this functional disorder. You’re not an outcast. You’re a tough, no-nonsense leader. Believe it.

2. Don’t stress – just rest. Just like the IBS Diva, you need your beauty sleep. Make sure you get at least eight hours per night. Let your body rejuvenate and heal during the night. Then you can wake up fabulous like the IBS Diva.

3. Keep searching. Even the IBS Diva searches for solutions for irritable bowel syndrome. Let’s face it. Having this disorder is no walk in the park. But there are ways to cope and live a happy, healthy life. Search for them while you’re on your journey to self acceptance. It can only help.

Honey, you have to look at irritable bowel syndrome as a challenge that you must overcome, not as a death sentence. With the proper mind set and a willingness to try new and effective dietary changes and medical solutions, you can live a healthy and happy life with IBS.

About the Author: For the rest of the Diva’s no-nonsense advice on living with IBS, visit: http://www.ibsdiva.net. And remember, the IBS Diva says, “Stay fabulous, baby!”

by Isabelle Boulay

Doctors promote cleansing of the colon to promote good health. If the colon is not working right, toxins must leave the body through other avenues. Bad halitosis, body odor can be taken care of with colon cleansing. Doctors say that cleansing the colon cleanses every tissue and cell in the human body. Toxic matter in the colon can cause colon diseases, headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, lupus, and cardiovascular disease. Cleansing the colon can also get rid of unwanted parasites that our bodies might be harboring. These parasites can come from insect bites, rare meat, vegetables not cleaned properly, and pets and even through sexual activity. In fact, it’s more common to pass on parasites than it is to pass on a venereal disease.

Our body is designed for the bowels to move after every meal. In our western civilization, that is hard to do so we have trained our body to once a day. When our colons become backed up then serious problems can develop. A toxic colon can lead to food intolerance and becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. Even though you may have regular bowel movements, the waste can pass through the colon and still leave accumulated residue on the walls behind it. A dirty colon can cause the muscles of the colon wall to lose tone, and ballooning or pouches can form causing diverticulosis. Food is trapped in these pouches and become breeding grounds for bacteria.

How do you clean out the colon? There are several different ways, some that will do it quickly and some gradually. There is even colonic irrigation that is very quick and an efficient way to wash away years of impacted feces and toxins.

A more gradual process will do the same thing, but you will begin to see improvements within a short time after starting the process. Skin problems disappear, chronic fatigue is alleviated, and the whites of the eyes regain their youthful clearness. The gradual process takes a period of several weeks, with the patient starting out eating raw food as 50 percent of their diet. By adding two teaspoonfuls of Metamucil or Citrucel and drinking a lot of water can get you started on your colon cleansing. Water is an important part of the cleansing. Some people believe they shouldn’t drink a lot of water because they tend to retain fluids. The opposite is true. The body retains the fluids because it isn’t getting enough fluid and tries to hang on to what it gets. The recommendation is to drink two quarts of water a day and start the day with at least a pint of hot water before breakfast.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome can be helped with a colon cleansing. I can personally attest to that, as I was required to do a bowel cleansing before having a colonoscopy. I had suffered for years with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, I was terrified to eat at fairs or street festivals, or eat and then get right in a car to travel. After going through three days of fasting and laxatives and foul tasting stuff to drink, I had my test. Nothing was found, but the result was that I felt wonderful and had no Irritable Bowel Attacks for over three years after I had my test. I’m not saying it was a pleasant experience to go through as it wasn’t the gradual process described above, but it did leave me feeling great and totally rejuvenated.

There are supplements available that are designed specifically for colon cleansing. These come in capsule form and are not too expensive. They can be found at any drugstore or natural food store.

It’s been said that a positive effect of colon cleansing is a positive feeling and becoming extremely energetic. Reducing the toxins and the breeding ground for germs also can result in a dramatic increasing in immunity from any type of infection.

About the Author: Ms. Boulay writes for www.medopedia.com, which has information on lasik Wavefront surgery and sleep apnea treatments

by Danna Schneider

Why Acidophilus? How Does it Help Treat My IBS?

Acidophilus has long been used as a very important part of natural IBS treatment for a few reasons. Acidophilus is thought to help control and help correct bacterial imbalances in the digestive tract and colon, which is said to be one of the major contributing factors to the IBS condition. So, what exactly IS acidophilus, and why should you incorporate into your overall treatment for IBS?

Acidophilus is a type of “healthy” bacteria that is found in natural yogurt, which provides a supportive bacterial environment for intestinal tracts which have been damaged due to long term antibiotic usage or illness.

Taking acidophilus supplements or getting a lot of acidophilus in your diet (eating a lot of yogurt with live cultures), has shown to help improve candida (candidiasis, or yeast imbalance) and yeast infections that occur in a woman’s vagina. It also has been useful in helping to remedy and control the symptoms of IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

How Exactly does the Acidophilus Bacteria Help in the Treatment and Curing of IBS?

Well, Acidophilus helps treat IBS is many ways, but the most important are that it:

1.) Acidohphilus helps treat diarrhea associated with IBS by helping to correct the bacterial imbalances caused by long term antibiotic use. Long term antibiotic use has been shown to build up unhealthy flora and bacteria in the colon and digestive tract, causing diarrhea, bloating and irregularity.

The reason for this is that most antibiotics have a serious side effect in that they destroy a lot of the health “friendly” bacteria in our digestive tract that prevent nasty digestive problems such as excess gas, bloating and diarrhea. Acidophilus benefits our entire digestive system since it brings back an optimal natural balance of the bacteria that inhabit the human digestive system.

2.) Acidophilus helps to reduce the flatulence associated with IBS by restoring a healthy balance of bacteria in the digestive tract, it helps keep the gas-producing bacteria in the large intestine from multiplying, and therefore decreases the incidence, severity and frequency of gastrointestinal pain and flatulence. This is a major benefit for IBS sufferers in the treatment of their IBS, since much of the discomfort IBS induces is caused by gas buildup and pressure.

Another Acidophilus IBS Benefit:

Another added benefit of Acidophilus is that people who are lactose intolerant can take this supplement, since it does not have an adverse effect on them, and they may be missing out on the beneficial effects of lactobacillus and acidophilus due to their condition since yogurt and foods with active yogurt cultures is out of the question.

Did you know there are over 400 different types of bacteria living in your digestive tract, some that you benefit from greatly, and some that produce gas, bloating, constipation and even diarrhea? That just goes to show the importance of these bacteria, and how easy it might be to have an imbalance of healthy, friendly bacteria and the destructive type which often causes most of the problems associated with IBS.

As you can see, acidophilus as a treatment for IBS should be an integral part of your comprehensive treatment for IBS. Make sure this is incorporated as part of your regimen, and I am certain you will feel the benefits of its positive effects sooner than you think.

About the Author: Visit 3 Part Herbal Remedy for IBS with Acidophilus for more information on one of the most powerful, multifunctional and multisymptom targeted IBS remedies on the market today. Danna Schneider is the webmaster of Herbal Medicines and Natural Supplements

by XTherapist.com

Colonics are one of the best types of medicine. They clean up deposits of old toxemia. Colon cleansing reduces the formation of new toxemia from putrefying fecal matter.

Most noticeable to the patient, a colonic immediately alleviates current symptoms by almost instantly reducing the current toxic load. A well-done enema or colonic is such a powerful technique that a single one will often make a severe headache vanish, make an onsetting cold go away, end a bout of sinusitis, end an asthmatic attack, reduce the pain of acute arthritic inflammation, reduce or stop an allergic reaction.

Enemas are also thrifty: they are self-administered and can prevent most doctor’s visits seeking relief for acute conditions.

Diseases of the colon itself, including chronic constipation, colitis, diverteculitis, hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome, and mucous colitis, are often cured solely by an intensive series of several dozen colonics given close together.

Contrary to popular belief, many people think that if they have dysentery or other forms of loose stools that a colonic is the last thing they need. Surprisingly, a series of colonics will eliminate many of these conditions as well.

People with chronic diarrhea or loose stools are usually very badly constipated.

A century ago there was much less scientific data about the functioning of the human body. Then it was easy for a hygienically-oriented physician to come to believe that colon hydrotherapy were the single best medicine available. The doctor practicing nothing but colonics will have a very high rate of cure and a lot of very satisfied clients. Most importantly, this medicine will have done no harm.

Somehow people of our culture have a deep-seated reluctance to relate to the colon or it’s functions. People don’t want to think about the colon or personally get involved with it by giving themselves enemas or colonics. They become deeply embarrassed at having someone else do it for them.

People are also shy about farts, and most people have a hard time not smiling or reacting in some way when someone in their presence breaks wind, although the polite amongst us pretend that we didn’t notice. Comedians usually succeed in getting a laugh out of an audience when they come up with a fart or make reference to some other bowel function. People don’t react the same way to urinary functions or discharges, although these also may have an unpleasant odor and originate from the same “private” area.

The average person has a prolapsed (sagging) transverse colon, and a distorted misplaced ascending and descending colon. In a medical survey done, X-rays were taken after each series of 12 colonics on patients. Most patients experienced so much immediate relief they voluntarily took at least four complete series, or 48 colonics, before their X-rays began to look normal in terms of structure. It also took about the same number, 48 colonics, for the patients to notice a significant improvement in the function of the colon.

The X-rays showed that it took a minimum of 12 colon treatments to bring about a minimal but observable change in the structure of the colon in the desired direction, and for the patient to begin to notice that bowel function was improving, plus the fact that they started to feel better.

Read more at http://www.XTherapist.com

by Stephanie Shank

By choosing high fiber foods, you can become part of the legend of those who have the nutritional wisdom which ensures better health, counteracts disease, and produces greater vitality. Ask not what your high fiber diet can do for you, but what you can do for your high fiber diet. Camelot? Spamalot? Fiber–alot.

Fiberlady is the new Guinevere. She’s come to share the wealth about your health. One of the main reasons for the emerging trend of high fiber foods is the ongoing quest for weight loss. Even the Knights of the Round Table have discovered that their armor fits better than ever.

The average American consumes about 5-13 grams of fiber daily, but nutrition experts recommend a daily intake of 20-35 grams. Here’s what you can do in the quest for your high fiber diet. Start by replacing white bread with whole grain bread, white rice with brown rice. Add more beans and legumes, veggies, fruits, seeds and nuts. Any foods with more than 4 grams per serving are categorized as high in fiber.

People are moving away from the low-carb diet fad towards eating foods that are high in fiber. New products making high-fiber claims has nearly doubled in the past few years. For example, Sara Lee (bless her heart) has developed a white bread with all the fiber and many of the nutrients of whole wheat bread. And wonder of wonders, Wonder has made a bread with a special 100% whole wheat flour milled from white wheat. These products make the new USDA Food Pyramid much easier to scale.

A diet rich in high fiber foods is essential for your ultimate health. Dietary fiber is vital for prevention or treatment of diverticulitis, diabetes, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease. Studies have shown that certain conditions such as constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis and high blood pressure respond favorably to a high fiber diet. Those who need a gluten free diet can still benefit from a variety of high fiber foods. Certain types of fiber can even lower blood cholesterol levels.

One of Fiberlady’s greatest concerns is the alarming trend for today’s children to be overweight. The new Food Guide Pyramid recommends that children consume 1 to 3 servings of whole grains daily. It’s probable that most children don’t even eat 1 serving a day of whole grains. Dietary fiber has a powerful impact on children’s overall health. After eating fiber-rich foods, there is a feeling of fullness which helps to control overeating. Fiber also helps regulate blood sugar which is vital to childrens’ energy and digestive health. High fiber foods are as important to their health as it is to yours.

Fiberlady knows how easy it is to raise your high fiber IQ. Educate yourself and those you love about high cholesterol, diabetes, types of cancer, high blood pressure, and other ailments that can be drastically improved or controlled by including high fiber recipes and high fiber menus on a regular daily basis.

Camelot was the beginning of the Quest for the Holy Grail. It could be considered a state of mind, but the quest for high fiber health is most assuredly the starting point to a state of good health!

About the Author: Stephanie Shank aka Fiberlady has studied nutrition for many healthy years which prompted her commitment to high fiber foods and the development of her informative website High Fiber Health.

by J. Wes Tanner, MD

“Oh my, I feel bloated again. It’s been three days since I’ve had a bowel movement. This cramping is killing me. It always seems to be worse with stress. Metamucil and laxatives really don’t seem to help very much. What am I going to do?”

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with constipation is very common, as well as being very frustrating. This patient would want to at least take care of the basics–the standard migraine care as outlined in my book, Doctor, Why Do I Feel This Way? The possible offending food list is the same for IBS and migraines. All people, especially people with IBS with constipation, should have certain bowel habits. They are encouraged to have their bowel movement 10-20 minutes after breakfast; to put the feet in position to allow them to unweight (in other words lift the body up slightly); not to hold breath while defecating; to consume adequate water; and to increase gradually fiber intake. Magnesium oxide can help migraines and increase the intestinal motility of contents. If these measures are not adequate, medicines can be prescribed. Your doctor can help you decide on the correct approach to IBS symptoms.

This person falls into the migraine syndrome profile. Let me explain what I mean by the migraine syndrome. It is the outward expression of the body’s sensitivity to light, sound, smell, food, and/or stress. Some people are more sensitive than others; therefore, their reactions to different stimuli are greater. This sensitivity can be manifested in the body as migraines, sinus headaches, neck aches, palpitations, irritable bowel syndrome, motion sickness or vertigo, reactive hypoglycemia, temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ), panic attacks, and/or fibromyalgia. Now that’s a mouthful! Understanding what is going on with you is very important in the healing process.

About the Author: J. Wes Tanner, MD, is a family practice and headache specialist who has been treating people for over 30 years. He has extensive experience in treating migraines and fibromyalgia with excellent success. In Doctor, Why Do I Feel This Way?, Dr. Tanner exposes the secrets and myths about fibromyalgia and the migraine syndrome. To find out more, go to http://www.migrainesyndrome.net.

by Stewart Hare

Indigestion, bloating, abdominal pain, intermittent constipation or diarrhoea, urgent need to defecate, loose or watery or hard or lumpy stools, feeling of incomplete bowel movement, abdominal fullness, wind, abdominal soreness, fatigue, backache, passing mucus during defecation and abdominal swelling are all symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that affects the gut, it is believe that up to 15% of the population suffer from it once during there lifetime. The exact cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is unknown, although food sensitivities and allergies, stress, bowel infection, bowel inflammation and sensitive bowel muscles could all be contributing factors that trigger irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms off. Other inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are not thought to be related to Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Food containing caffeine, fructose, or sorbitol, diary products, spices, wheat, alcohol and beans are best avoided or limited in the diet as these are thought to be triggering foods. Sometimes fibre can trigger off irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, it is best to try and experiment with fibre consumption, keeping to non-gluten grains such as corn, millet, rice and quinoa. In cases with severe constipation or diarrhoea taking fibre in the form of psyllium husks is extremely effective for relieving these symptoms. Peppermint and caraway oils are good for relieving wind and intestinal cramp whilst soothing the bowel wall. Taking probiotic supplements containing lactobacilli the friendly healthy bacteria has been known to improve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), other supplement that have shown to improve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms are cynara artichoke and aloe vera juice.

Stress has been linked to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); reducing stress will help with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms.

If you are suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, it is always wise to consult your doctor. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has similar symptoms to more serious bowel problems which may need medical treatment.

The following supplements may help if you are suffering from IBS.

Multivitamins and multiminerals Antioxant complex Vitamin C L-glutamine powder GLA Probiotics Cynara artichoke Brewser yeast Aloe Vera juice Psyllium

About the Author
Stewart Hare C.H.Ed Dip NutTh
Advice for a healthier natural life
website: http://www.newbeingnutrition.com

by Sophie Lee

Many irritable bowel syndrome sufferers first develop symptoms of IBS during their teenage years. Symptoms like stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation and bloating are difficult even for an adult to deal with, and if you also have to cope with peer pressure, new relationships and exams it can make life very miserable indeed.

On top of this, teenagers often find that their parents, and even their doctors, do not take them seriously when they try to seek help. The number one complaint I hear from teenagers who have been diagnosed with IBS, often after many months or years of asking for help, is that “no-one believed I was sick”. This is horrible for the teenager, as not only do they have the physical pain and discomfort to deal with, they also have to get past the fact that everyone around them thinks they are ‘faking it’. Can you imagine anything worse?

Because of this problem, it is vital that we trust our children when they’re say that they’re having bowel problems. Of course, most kids will try to get out of school once in a while, but very few will pretend to have embarrassing symptoms like diarrhea or wind. In fact, it may have taken a great deal of courage for them to even admit to these symptoms in the first place. It’s very important that when they do manage to talk about their problem, they receive a sympathetic ear.

It’s also vital that teenagers receive a definite diagnosis of IBS from a doctor – bowel symptoms can mean IBS, but they can also mean Crohn’s Disease, celiac disease, and a range of other disorders, so please get these ruled out before you assume that it’s IBS.

Once a diagnosis has been made, you need to work alongside your teenager to help them find some treatments that work for them. This may be in the form of medications, dietary change, or supplements, and it may take a while to find something that works for each individual, but there certainly are treatments out there – don’t let your child feel that they’re going to suffer forever, or that just because IBS is still poorly understood there’s no hope for the future. Most IBS sufferers find a treatment program that works for them, but it may take time and a trial and error approach.

Another important point to remember is that because of the general lack of understanding of IBS, there are some long-standing myths which your child might be subjected to. The most damaging, and most common, of these myths is that IBS is “all in your head” – the implication being that if the sufferer would stop being so neurotic or anxious the IBS symptoms would magically go away. This is nonsense, and you should make sure that your child knows that their symptoms are NOT their fault, and are certainly not caused by emotional problems.

Having said that, stress and anxiety can be triggers for IBS, just as certain foods can be triggers for IBS, and so anything you can do to relieve stress may help relieve symptoms to a certain extent. Remember that your child may be worried about not reaching a bathroom in time and having an accident, or having to leave class during school time and being made fun of. They might also have problems with teachers who think that they are missing out on too much school.

At all stages of your teenager’s illness, the best thing that you can do is be their advocate, whether it is with doctors who are not offering treatment options, teachers who are blaming your child for missing school, or family and friends who have decided that IBS is not a big deal.

If you are standing beside your child saying “IBS is real, painful, and depressing, but we’re going to beat this together” then you should find that your teenager is far more hopeful about the future, and far more willing to talk to you about what can be a very embarrassing and painful disorder.

About the Author: Sophie Lee has suffered from IBS since the age of 12. She runs the website Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment http://www.irritable-bowel-syndrome.ws where you can read reviews of all the treatments available for IBS.