This post is not an entirely pleasant one to read; for that I am truly sorry. However, it was as about as unpleasant for me to write, I assure you.
IBS is not a fun condition to live with, but it is part of my life. Naturally I had to confront the subject to give you a better understanding of what health problems I am dealing with. I am not going divulge or dissect my full medical history here, but IBS has been something that has dominated my life for the past few years.
It is something that must be addressed. This post gives you a brief insight into what the condition’s nature, symptoms and affects. I cannot tell you to ‘enjoy’ this, but it may be handy to for you to know if you are reading the blog. (Which I hope someone is at least!)
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, nor do I ever claim to be. I have tried to gather my information from credible websites (linked below) in order to provide a brief overview of the condition.
IBS? Never heard of it…
No need to worry. A lot of people have not heard of this medical condition; a surprise considering it afflicts millions of people across the world (knowing and unknowingly).
IBS is short for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. (Not Infuriating Bullshit Syndrome like in the post’s title. Though it should be as it is very infuriating because of all the bull shit you have to deal with because of the syndrome!) As you can probably guess from the name, this is going to be a shitty subject to deal with. (Pun intended, and sadly accurate.) The NHS website defines IBS as ‘a common, long-term condition of the digestive system. It can cause bouts of stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation.’
That is of course a very general definition of a condition that still confounds many members of the medical community.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of IBS include the following.
- pain or discomfort in the abdomen
- changes in bowel habit
- abdomen looking or feeling bloated
- feeling tired
- indigestion
- feeling sick
- backache
- tiredness
- bladder problems
That is a heck of a lot of symptoms there. Sounds rough…
It is, and then it isn’t. That is the funny thing about IBS; it’s condition that manifests itself in various ways and at different times. No two people’s experiences will be the same because it affects everyone differently.
For example, when a sufferer has a ‘flare up’ (i.e. their intestines become irritated and inflamed) it can come at any time. The person can experience any one of the symptoms listed. The symptoms vary between individuals and affect some people more severely than others.
The symptoms come and go in periods that can last a few days to a few months at a time. Often periods of intense stress, or eating certain ‘trigger’ foods, can contribute to a ‘flare up’ of the intestines.
What causes the condition?
Unfortunately, nobody is quite sure. There is a big debate in the medical community as to the true root cause of IBS.
Some experts think that it’s related to increased sensitivity of the gut and problems digesting food.These problems mean the suffer is more sensitive to pain coming from their gut, and become constipated or have diarrhoea because food passed through their gut either too slowly or too quickly.
On the other hand, others would argue that symptoms are a result from a disturbance in the way the gut, brain, and nervous system interact. This causes changes in normal bowel movement and sensation.
This is all very interesting, but not helpful to an IBS sufferer! Thankfully in recent years far more research has been done to better understand the condition. Hopefully there will be a breakthrough one day. Until then, it is merely a guessing game for doctors and patients alike as to what causes symptoms to manifest.
How can it be treated?
Again there is no certainty for what causes the condition. As a consequence of this there is no one solution to the problem.
However, a person’s symptoms can be managed by making changes to their diet and lifestyle.
For example, it may help to:
- identify and avoid foods or drinks that trigger symptoms
- alter the amount of fibre in the diet
- exercise regularly
- reduce stress levels
Sources for Information:
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Irritable-bowel-syndrome/Pages/Introduction.aspx
https://www.bupa.co.uk/health-information/Directory/I/irritable-bowel-syndrome#
http://www.aboutibs.org/site/what-is-ibs/facts/
– Hallie
Breaking Good 