Natural Remedies For Irritable Bowel Sufferers

Would you believe that one in five Americans suffer with irritable bowel syndrome? This fact has many individuals dealing with cramping, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation. The condition is not life threatening, but can be very painful and uncomfortable to say the least. The problem is seen in more women than men and is more prominent after the age of 35.

Irritable bowel syndrome causes are only speculation such as the person having a colon or large intestine that may be sensitive to certain foods or even stress. Another thought is that the immune system, which aids in fighting infection, could also be involved in the condition.

If you believe, you may have irritable bowel syndrome there are a few things that tend to make the symptoms worse. These include eating huge meals, various medication, bloating, alcohol, chocolate, wheat, barley, rice, all caffeinated drinks, stress, and emotional upsets.

The major problem with diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome is that there is not just one simple test that will provide your doctor with a positive test result. In order for your physician to determine if you have irritable bowel syndrome he or she will have to administer several different tests including stool samples, x-rays, blood tests, and possibly a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. Your doctor will really be eliminating other problems which then he will conclude that you have irritable bowel syndrome.

Treatment for irritable bowel syndrome includes such things as change in diet and stress management. The best way to learn what foods you should avoid is by keeping a diary. When you notice, you have flair ups when you eat a certain food you should write this in your diary and then steer clear of that food. If you may not have problems until the next day after eating, keeping a diary of the foods you eat will help you learn the foods that are causing your problems.

Your physician may prescribe such medications as antispasmodics or antidepressants which may hinder the symptoms especially constipation. The good news is you can find all natural products that do not have these side effects but work effectively to eliminate the symptoms.

A few of the things you can do to help with irritable bowel syndrome besides taking medications include supplements such as probiotics, stay away from white breads, sugar, and pastas, watch for food allergies, use cooking oils such as olive oil, stay away from all foods made with saturated fats, watch out for gas producing foods like beans and apple juice, eat more fiber, and exercise 30 minutes per day at least five days per week.

If you would like to add supplements to your diet that will help with irritable bowel syndrome then you should check out Quiet Digestion by Health Concerns, iFlora Multi-Probiotic by Sedona Labs, Ginger Tonic by New Mark, and Super EPA Molecularly Distilled.

About the Author:

Valerie Balandra is a nurse practitioner and owner of www.HealthRemedies.com. She believes in utilizing a holistic approach to health and nutrition. For more information, visit lab tests online, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, and natural treatments for depression.