Natural Remedies for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

Natural Remedies for IBS

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is also known as IBS. This is a condition suffered by one in five Americans, and is thought to be undiagnosed and untreated in as much as 70% of sufferers. IBS is a problem for women more often than men, but it is not associated with more severe colon related diseases. There is no inflammation of the colon when someone has IBS, and no other growths or obstructions.

Modern medical doctors are not sure what causes this condition. Opinions abound, and the most common ones include being sensitive to certain foods, reactions to stress, immune system differences, or a person's colon and bowel not working normally in general.

There are different symptoms for each IBS sufferer too. Common symptoms include abdominal cramping, bloating and pain. Some people with IBS will have chronic diarrhea though, while others will have chronic constipation instead. Still others will bounce back and forth between those two states.

These symptoms have been labeled with other names over the years, the most common being a spastic colon. The symptoms often increase when eating certain foods, eating big meals, or experiencing heavy amounts of stress or depression. Since nerve endings connect the colon to every part of the body, almost anything can cause problems similar to IBS. Because of this, a variety of treatments are often tried.

Depending on the person, their doctor, and the severity of their IBS symptoms, strong prescription medications may be used to help relieve the constipation or diarrhea. We don't agree with this approach however, and feel the more natural means should be tried first. Many doctors however, will suggest these alternative approaches before suggesting medications.

The first approach to managing IBS is changes in your diet. If your IBS is caused due to intolerance or allergies of certain foods for instance, removing those from your diet can create drastic improvements. Often people have a lactose or gluton intolerance without knowing it.

Some people are also more sensitive to foods which contain heavy amounts of grease, or they're IBS problems flare up more after greasy meals. Another common trigger for IBS symptoms is eating large and heavy meals. Simply by cutting down the amount you eat in one sitting, and eating fewer but smaller meals each day, can help relieve IBS symptoms.

Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can help with IBS, particularly when constipation is a chronic problem. Many people try taking extra fiber supplements, but these can actually cause the gas and bloating problems to become worse.

Eating fruits and vegetables which regulate the stools can be quite beneficial however. Bananas for instance, will help relieve both diarrhea and constipation.

Other natural treatments recommended for managing IBS are stress management, exercise, and hypnosis.

Since many opinions are that stress plays a primary role in IBS flare ups, managing that stress is considered to be one of the best natural treatments for IBS. Doctors and natural practitioners alike feel it can be beneficial to learn breathing and calming exercises, practice meditation, and practice stress relieving activities such as yoga. Removing the cause of stress in your life is another recommendation, but for some that's not overly easy to do. Changing your scenery or routine can help too, as can taking a vacation.

Exercise is another important way to relieve colon problems, including IBS. Your colon contains many muscles, and by moving your body in various ways while exercising, you're also moving those internal muscles too. Moving the colon around during exercise can also help if there are blockages causing problems.

There are several herbal approaches to dealing with IBS too however, and these tend to focus more on healing the internal problems rather than just managing the symptoms. Like most colon related illnesses, herbal specialists feel cleansing the colon should be one of the primary steps towards obtaining relief.

Cleansing can be done with enemas, colonic flushing and irrigation, herbal laxatives, herbs which act as brooms to "scrub" the colon, and changes in dietary habits.

There are several herbs which can help balance the colon, aid it in healing, and help it to start functioning more normally. Here we'll look at several.

Slippery Elm is an herb used to assist with diarrhea. It normalizes the stools and soothes, coats and heals the entire digestive tract. Slippery Elm should be taken with lots of water.

Alfalfa or Chlorophyll are colon scrubbing herbs, which can help immensely with constipation problems. These also neutralize gas in the stomach and colon.

Cascara Sagrada is one of the strongest herbal laxatives. It promotes activity in the bowel muscles, so this could cause a bit of cramping, but it's not an irritant or a purgative.

Peppermint is an herb that works wonderfully for gas, bloating and stomach pains caused by indigestion. This herb will cause the gas to pass out of your body.

Garlic will also help expel gas from your system, and it has the added benefit of being able to help your colon rid itself of mucus and parasites which could be causing some of the IBS problems. Additionally garlic is an infection fighting herb, so if there are harmful bacteria in your colon causing the IBS, the garlic can help rid your body of them.

Statements made in this article may not be approved by the FDA, and should not be taken as professional medical advice.

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