10 to 20% of adults experience mild symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Seventy percent of IBS sufferers are women who experience continuous or recurrent pain in the abdomen. There may also be bloating, mucas in the feces and an erratic pattern of defecation.

The cause of IBS is not known, and as yet there is no cure. Doctors call it a functional disorder because there is no sign of disease when the colon is examined.

So what is going on? It is thought that the nerves and muscles in the bowel become hyper-sensitive. As an IBS sufferer the muscles contract excessively. These contractions then cause the cramping and diarrhea during or shortly after a meal. Alternatively, it is thought that the nerves become sensitive to the stretching of the bowel. Abdominal pain usually results.

Treatment with drugs offers no permanent cure.

In the past, Irritable Bowel Syndrome has been called by a number of names, spastic colon, spastic bowel, colitus and functional bowel disease. Many of these terms are inaccurate. Colitis, for instance, means inflammation of the large intestine (colon) whereas IBS does not cause inflammation and should also not be confused with another disorder, ulcerative colitis.

If you are suffering from IBS, hypnosis has been proven to be most effective. Other treatments may identify food allergies (wheat or lactose are common) and at resolving Stress.


Posted @ 13:06:03 on 02 September 2006  back to top