Have you ever had those days when you just cannot seem to find relief? and, no, matter what you do, the symptoms just keep on coming. Before you know it, you find that you have spent half the day in the bathroom, or, you would have had to call in sick to work.
After several visits to your doctor, you have finally been told that you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). As relieved as you are finally to learn what has been happening, you will now need to learn how to control it.
The good news is that Irritable Bowel Syndrome is not a terminal condition, and it has also been reported by many reliable sources that more women than men will come down with Irritable Bowel Syndome. Indeed, approximately, 20 percent of the adult population experience IBS symptoms. IBS is also regarded as the most common chronic health disorder in America, UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
Irritable Bowel Syndome is a condition that is characterized as having stomach spasms, cramping, abdominal pain, gas, nausea, bloating, constipation and diarrhea. However, these symptoms are rarely likely to develop into a more serious condition or disease, though they might be very uncomfortable.
It is however most important to understand that IBS is a chronic condition that, if not attended to can grow to control a person life. For example, the condition can at times make it extremely tough for a person to work, travel short or long distances or even attend certain social events.
Moreover, attacks can happen suddenly, at any time, day or night, and have been known to even sometimes arise during people’s sleep at night. Stress, whether mentally or emotionally, can sometimes stimulate colon spasms thus causing an individual’s IBS to flash up.
Approximately, 70 percent of people suffering from IBS have not been receiving any form of medical treatment for their symptoms.
There is not a cure for Irritable Bowel Syndome, as it is known to mainly be understood as a brain-gut dysfunction.
While it is incurable, this condition can still be controlled by an irritable bowel diet, exercise and lowering your overall levels of stress. Trying to gain control through a healthier diet would be a primary step, especially, as your gut will be playing a direct role in this delicate condition.
As everyone’s body tends to react differently to different foods, it might sometimes be more complicated to establish some more strict guidelines. However, foods which are high in fat, insoluble fiber, caffeine, coffee, carbonation or alcohol will be problematic.
On the flip side, foods with soluble fibers will be amongst the single and greatest dietary aid for preventing IBS. Soluble fibers are not found in foods you would typically think of as containing fiber, as soluble fibers will enable you to stabilize some of your intestinal contractions while working to soothe and regulate the digestive tract. The key to living with IBS is in finding out how to control the symptoms, thus not letting your symptoms to ever gain control of you.
Sandra Williams is a contributing editor at FitnessHealthArticles.com. This article may be reproduced provided that its complete content, links and author byline are kept intact and unchanged. No additional links permitted. Hyperlinks and/or URLs must remain both human clickable and search engine spiderable.