Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the most taken for granted ailments today. You may be experiencing it by now. Santa Monica irritable bowel syndrome sufferers should seek medical attention as soon as possible. At times, people will just mistakenly see it as a concurrent diarrhea. Indeed, people may experience several physiologic symptoms but don't know what these mean. In most cases, conditions get worse because of the lack of knowledge when it comes to determining what abnormal signs are and what are not. Patients just consult doctors when it's already the late stage of their disease.
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) refers to the abnormal bowel movement. This generally means that the bowel responds irritably even in normal circumstances. It is also referred to as spastic colitis, mucous colitis and at times, we all know it as the spastic colon. Physicians classify it under functional diseases wherein the muscles, nerves and the soft tissues in our gastrointestinal tract (GI) are not working properly, specifically the colon. The symptoms are usually caused by changes in the GI tract. As we all know, the GI tract is where food breakdown and digestion usually occurs. It is a series of hollow organs starting off from the mouth up to the anus.
Signs and Symptoms
The primary symptom experienced by Santa Monica IBS patients is abdominal discomfort and sudden change in bowel habits. You might recognize changes in the following:
1. Frequency of bowel movement
Diarrhea: Passing stools more than three times a day
Constipation: Passing stools less than three times a week.
2. Consistency of the stool
Diarrhea: Loose and watery stools
Constipation: Dry and hard stools
IBS does not only cause diarrhea, it may also result to constipation. People may experience only diarrhea or constipation, or both. These symptoms may occur after eating a meal. Moreover, here are the determinate symptoms unique to IBS.
- Presence of a whitish mucus in your stool.
- A bloated abdomen.
- Feeling of incomplete defecation
If you experience these symptoms for at least three days every month, then you might have IBS.
Diagnosis and Treatment
You have to consult your physician for a specific diagnose. You will have to give your medical history, eating habits and even drug history if you have taken medications for the past six months. You will also be required to pass a stool test so that it will be analyzed for the presence of mucus, blood and even bacteria. You may also undergo sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy wherein a scope or a tube with a camera lens will be inserted through your anus up to the colon to see what's wrong.
IBS is actually treated in a symptomatic approach through changing your eating, diet and nutrition habits. You may be asked to eat frequent small meals up to four or five meals a day. This is to lessen gastric irritation caused by large meals. You may also be treated with laxatives for constipation and antispasmodics for diarrhea. Probiotics therapy is also one of the treatment choices. Probiotics are live microorganisms which help in digestion. These are found in supplements.
