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Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Curable?

What is IBS?

Irritable bowel syndrome or commonly known as IBS, arises from a functional disorder of the bowel, or large intestine. It is not a disease but rather a condition under which the bowel appears normal but isn't working properly.

In biological terms, when the nerves and muscles of your bowel are extra-sensitive, any contact with food may cause them to contract too much.

These contractions can cause abdominal discomforts such as cramping, bloating, diarrhea, constipation and excessive gas, during or after a meal.

Two categories of IBS

IBS can be classified into two broad categories :-

• Constipation-predominant IBS
  Experience difficulty in defecation associated with colicky or dull ache, bloating, flatulence and nausea. Also known as "spastic colon disease" or "spastic colitis".

• Diarrhea-predominant IBS
  As its name implies, diarrhea which is painless which occur immediately upon waking up in the morning, or during or immediately after a meal.

How to detect IBS?

The symptoms are not precise but can vary widely for different persons and can range from mild to severe. The frequency of symptoms can also be inconsistent - some or all symptoms can occur at the same time and some symptoms can be more severe than others.

As such, IBS can easily be confused with other gastrointestinal disorders such as food poisoning, lactose intolerance, food allergies or inflammatory bowel disease.

So it's important that you see a doctor early instead of wishing the discomfort would disappear by itself. It won't and will worsen if you delay further.

An early diagnosis helps in eliminating other sinister conditions that may have symptoms similar to IBS and alleviates unnecessary anxiety and allows appropriate treatment.

Your doctor will probably first use a diagnosis known as Rome criteria which identifies a major symptom as recurring abdominal pain or discomfort for at least three days per month in the last three months, associated with 2 or more of the following:

1. Change in the form of stool
2. Change in the frequency of bowel movement
3. Pain or discomfort relieved by bowel movement

After your doctor better understands your conditions and symptoms, he will recommend further tests to ascertain if you're really an IBS patient.

These tests may include stool tests, blood tests, lactose intolerance test or a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy is a small flexible tube used to examine the inside of the colon. Such equipment is only required if your doctor suspects other illness such as colorectal cancer.

Sources of IBS

No specific cause has yet to be found but doctors generally agree the change in colon muscle contraction and the increased sensitivity within the gastrointestinal tract play a major role in IBS.

Hence, your bowel tends to be overly reactive to various triggers such as food, stress, hormonal changes eg menstrual periods and even exercise.

You should avoid certain foods such as milk products, alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks and fatty foods which may trigger IBS.

Some cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts and legumes such as beans are said to worsen gas-related symptom like bloating.

Try eating them in smaller portions instead of cutting them off completely from your diet. Unlike fats, these vegetables & legumes are rich in fibre necessary for our good health. Thus, I have found some excellent tips to get around this problem.

Men and women have equal chances of suffer from IBS. Luckily, the condition is not hereditary and has not been found to run in families.

How does IBS affects you?

IBS discomforts can cause embarrassments in your daily activities.

Imagine yourself belching or farting uncontrollably after a meal while you're with people or experience abdominal cramps in the midst of a meal with clients or acquaintances and have to dash to restrooms to move your bowels.

Or you have to be excused from work, even during busy work periods because the discomforts are so severe.

Thus, IBS often disrupts your daily activities, and in some cases, may severely affects your personal relationships or career.

Treatments for IBS

Four treatments are used to relieve symptoms and avoid triggers :

1. Medications
   

   If yours belong to the diarrhea type of IBS, prescribed drugs consisting of anti-diarrheal and anti-spasmodic medications are used. Anti-spasmodic medications aid to slow down the action of digestive tract and reduce the chance of painful bowel spasms.

   If you are suffering from constipation-predominant IBS, fibre supplements are the most effective.

   However, your doctor will recommend your fibre intake through fibre-rich foods rather than medications in the long run.

2. Diet management
   

   Educating you about how to identify and avoid foods likely to trigger the symptoms is important in helping you manage your conditions and lead a normal life.

3. Counselling
   

   The inconvenience and awkwardness of IBS can adversely affects your mood and probably leads to depression if left unchecked. Thus, some counseling or psychotherapy are needed to help you deal with your emotions.

4. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
   

   TCM is getting popular nowadays as an effective, alternative treatment. In this case, acupuncture can be used to provide relief from nausea, flatulence and abdominal pain and to slow down intestinal movement.

Coping with IBS

Although suffering from IBS can be embarrassing, frustrating and at times, depressing, you can learn to cope with it mentally and emotionally.

1. Learn more about IBS - its symptoms, causes and treatments for the disorder, by reading and attending workshops on IBS.

   If you want to manage your condition, being knowledgeable about IBS is the best starting point. You'll also be more confident to explain your disorders to others without embarrassment.

2. Learn to identify what trigger the IBS attacks. Was it that fried noodles you ate? Keep a food diary to record what foods are the culprits.

   Have you been especially tired and stressed lately? Note down the sources that cause your conditions.

   Although symptoms may be different over time, you now know what to avoid, hence they still help you in managing your condition.

3. Talking to others or medical specialists on IBS and seeking their support can provide the assurance, comfort and helpful suggestions you need.

   Contact your local IBS support group (if any) or join Internet communities for IBS patients.

Coping with IBS if your friend is the sufferer

But if you're not an IBS victim but have a friend suffering from IBS, how do you react around him?

1. Don't appear uncomfortable or worse, disgusted when your friend tells you about his condition. Most likely, he doesn't enjoy talking about his bowels as much as you listening to him.

   But he chooses to explain his behavior so that you won't misunderstand his behavior as rude or strange. You should be appreciative of his courage and honesty.

2. Don't expect your friend to keep his IBS under control within a few days. Doctors generally agree that there is no specific cause for IBS, therefore your friend have to find out the trigger factors through trial and error.

   This could take months or even years before he is able to manage his condition, and sometimes IBS is a lifetime disorder that requires constant attention.

3. Try to be understanding when your friend needs to use the restroom or call off the appointment with you due to IBS, even at inconvenient times.

   He can't control the timing of IBS attack, so he probably feels guilty for causing the inconvenience. If you show more impatience or frustration, you will only make him feel more anxious and guilty.

4. Your friend does need your concern about his IBS but don't overdo it by inspecting or controlling what he eats.

   Be sensitive to his feelings - give sound advices only when asked and don't hover outside the restroom while he is inside, repeatedly asking if he is alright.

   Give him some space please!

5. Again, be sensitive with your comments. Don't joke about IBS condition, even if your intention is to lighten or distract your friend's IBS attack. Your friend would likely prefer you to talk about other topics rather than focus on his condition.

Any cure for IBS?

Since IBS is a chronic or long-term disorder, you may have to endure the recurrence of symptoms for the rest of your life.

However, doctors advise that with proper management, many patients will be able to achieve long-term control of their condition and perform their daily activities without much trouble.

In fact, if you're diagnosed with IBS without any disease complications, it's not that bad as IBS alone does not damage the bowel in any way and it definitely does not lead to or increase the risk of colon cancer.

Why do some fruits, vegetables and legumes cause bloating and gas?

Because these foods contain a lot of insoluble fiber which are capable of stimulating the intestinal movements.

For IBS victims, their sensitive colons will not be able to digest large amounts of fibre at one go, this will then result in the bacteria in the colon fermenting the fiber and produces hydrogen gas.

Having said that, it's not a good idea to omit them completely from your diet as they do contain abundant nutrients essential to keep you healthy.

There's a way to get around this problem - just remember 2 simple rules.

Rule #1 - Avoid eating insoluble fiber alone or on empty stomach. Always eat with larger quantity of soluble fiber to reduce the fermentation process.

Rule #2 - Try to cook, peel, chop, seed, dice, and/or puree most of the vegetables, fruits and legumes. These will remove or break down the insoluble fiber so that it will not cause too much IBS problems.

• Blend soluble fiber fruits like bananas, mangoes and/or peaches with strawberries, blueberries or other fresh fruits and a bit of soy or rice milk into smoothies.

• Blend well-cooked vegetables or beans into soups or sauces and serve with rice or noodles.

• Grind nuts finely before adding them to your meals.

• Herbal teas such as peppermint, fennel, chamomile or ginger teas are useful in stabilising the intestinal movements.

The key is to feed your body with insoluble foods in small portions carefully and slowly, giving your body time to adjust. You will increase your tolerance for these foods and digest them better the more you eat them.