What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome/IBS?

By Elizabeth Hartley

The term "irritable bowel syndrome" can cause confusion and many people wonder what exactly the illness is? For example:

• What are the various symptoms associated with the term?
• What is irritable bowel syndrome?
• Is it dangerous?
• Can it be cured?
• What is the best way to manage the complaint?

In order to gain answers to these questions it's important to properly understand the illness in the first place. Here are some pointers which can offer a better understanding of IBS:

1) Symptoms - These are the physical signs in a person's wellbeing which point towards a particular ailment. In the case of irritable bowel there are usually more than one indicator, in other words, sufferers of IBS will generally present with a combination of problems which will be noted as a group of symptoms. Common symptoms of IBS are bloating, stomach cramps, excess gas/wind, constipation and/or diarrhea.

2) Causes - It's important to realize that having an irritable bowel is not a disease but a disorder. It is more to do with irregularity in the function of the digestive system rather than disease within the system itself. Some people may regard it as an eating disorder whilst others think the problem is caused by a virus or bacteria of some sort.

The fact is that to date, no exact cause for IBS has been identified however there may be factors that contribute to the specific symptoms and by treating individual symptoms as they arise, a degree of relief may be obtained in controlling the overall syndrome.

3) Triggers - In order to successfully treat the condition it is important to identify a person's individual trigger of the most troublesome symptoms. Everyone is different and there isn't a cure-all remedy that will work for everybody. However by keeping a diary it may help the sufferer identify when the syndrome is at its worst. There are two main triggers of irritable bowel syndrome which, in studies, have come to light:

a) Stress - Research has shown that stress can have a huge impact on the symptoms. The enormous pressures of living in today's society, juggling home life with high-powered jobs or struggling with unemployment and economic issues all take their toll.

b) Food - Eating the wrong type of food can definitely trigger the symptoms of IBS. However, it should also be noted that even people who follow good eating habits can be victims of the condition. Unfortunately cutting out junk food and replacing bad choices with healthy alternatives doesn't necessarily guarantee a solution to the symptoms.

c) Treatments- Identifying the cause of irritable bowel syndrome will help the sufferer choose the most appropriate treatment for their specific problem. It may help to keep a diary which will indicate any common patterns involving the symptoms for example, if a period of severe stomach bloating follows eating a particular food, or if delivering an important presentation causes an attack of diarrhea. Finding whether an individual's particular trigger is stress or food related or a combination of both will greatly assist the search for an effective treatment.

Elizabeth Hartley is the author and creator of The Flat Stomach Diet. This diet plan is the result of many years of research after consultation with doctors and professional nutritionists in an effort to discover the causes of painful abdominal cramps and bloating. The findings are based on personal experience after undergoing numerous medical tests and procedures and failing to find any other alternative long term solution. Details of The Flat Stomach Diet can be found at http://www.flatstomachplan.com.

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