Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a functional disorder of the large intestine that is characterised by bloating, chronic abdominal cramps, and pain. IBS also causes bouts of altered bowel behaviour between constipation, diarrhoea, and sometimes alternating between both.

IBS affects people worldwide but has been found to affect more females than males. IBS can begin at any stage in life: childhood, adolescence, or adulthood. IBS symptoms can disappear for periods of time only to reappear at any time.

Research has proven there is no connection between IBS and an increased risk in other bowel conditions such as colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is also known to some as spastic colon, spastic bowel, and functional bowel disorder.

It is often confused with colitis which shares some similarities colitis is far more serious and can damage the colon if left untreated.

Although researchers have yet to discover what triggers IBS, some studies have shown IBS may be the result of the large and small intestines over or under-sensing factors which can lead to abnormal bowel function.

Some specialists also believe the following factors could also trigger IBS:

Food allergies
Lack of fibre in a person’s diet
Antibiotics
Depression
Gastrointestinal infection
Stress
Lack of physical exercise
Acute enteritis such as traveler’s diarrhoea
Female hormones
Certain medications and foods (such as coffee, chocolate, and dairy products

Certain events can also trigger IBS such as traveling, a change in your daily routine, attending social events, or during a female’s menstrual period.

Please note that there is no definitive proof these actually cause IBS.

They have just been present in many cases of people who have been diagnosed with IBS.

Common Symptoms of IBS

The following have been noted as possible symptoms of IBS. These symptoms can also appear due to other illnesses and diseases. This is why you should consult your physician if you exhibit combinations of these symptoms:

Changes in bowel habits
Mucus in the stool
Abdominal cramping and pains which may either be dull aches or sporadic in nature
An urgent need to have a bowel movement
Excessive gas
Bloating
Constipation, diarrhoea, or periods where the two alternate
Feel like you still need to have a bowel movement soon after having one
Abdominal pain and cramping may disappear after having a bowel movement

IBS can also impact a person’s quality of life on an everyday basis. IBS can make it difficult to attend social gatherings due to the sudden onset of symptoms.

Studies have shown people who are dealing with IBS miss three times as many workdays which consequentially affects their professional career.

How We Treat IBS

Each individual case of IBS must be looked at differently depending on the patient.

Your Naturopath at our Melbourne Natural Medicine Clinic in Ringwood will look for the top underlying causes of your Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms:

We take a thorough case history and then especially check for the most relevant causes.

Targeted testing will help us identify the contributing causes of your IBS.

Once identified, we go about treating you so that you can regain control of your digestive health.

Here are 5 of the causes we check for:

Yeast/ parasites/ bacterial infection

Changes in gut ecology can have a profound effect on not only the digestive system but health in general.

Yeast infections due to a diet high in sugar and overuse of antibiotics will cause a range of digestive symptoms.

The same applies to parasites and bacterial infections.

Your sensitivity to FODMAP Foods

FODMAP stands for (Fermentable Oligo-, Di- and Monosaccharids and Polyols)
Sensitivity to FODMAP’s refers to a condition characterised by the impaired intestinal absorption of certain dietary sugars.

These sugars include fructose found in fruit and vegetables, lactose found in dairy, and sorbitol found in a range of fruits and vegetables.

Eating these foods can bring on the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, especially pain, bloating, gas, and altered bowel function.

You will also note your symptoms aggravated by fruit intake and often onions and legumes.

SIBO (Small intestine bacterial overgrowth)

In certain individuals, bacteria can migrate from the large intestine up into the small intestine where they are not supposed to be.

Dietary sugar and starch are then fermented by these bacteria causing irritable bowel symptoms.

You may also find that your symptoms can be aggravated by sugar or starch intake.

Food Sensitivities/Intolerances

70 % of our immune system is located around the intestines, so it stands to reason that people can develop immune responses to certain foods.

Especially the case if the intestinal lining has been damaged in some way by things like excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, antibiotics, parasites, etc.

Certain molecules found in food can react in the gut lining causing a range of irritable bowel symptoms.

Common sensitivities include eggs, dairy, and gluten.

A simple IgG food sensitivity panel will show if this is the cause of your digestive symptoms.

Stress

Stress is a known trigger of digestive complaints.

We know that the brain communicates with the digestive tract.

We often note that when we are under acute stress, the digestive system can become overactive. Or when nervous we get “butterflies in the stomach”.

From the information gathered and test results, we are able to formulate a healthy plan of attack to assist in relieving your symptoms and managing your IBS to allow your life to continue unhindered by embarrassing and painful symptoms.

Get in touch now

Make an Appointment and tackle your IBS

Call us on 03 9879 95 96.

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