Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a condition that affects more than twenty percent of Americans and is in the top 10 most common chronic medical condition in USA. Sufferers with Irritable Bowel Syndrome have abdominal pain often eased by defaecation. In addition there is associated bloating and altered bowel habits and form. Constipation and/or diarrhoea are common.
At present no one knows the exact cause, no one treatment is effective in a large group of patients and there is no cure. In fact medical treatment has fallen well below patients' expectation.
Although no one can give you a specific cause for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, there are various suggestions. There is a higher incidence of abuse in IBS patients (Talley et al 1994: 50% of IBS patients reported abuse). In addition at least 20% of severe gastroenteritis (especially bacterial) develops Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Recently trials on a poorly absorbed antibiotic raises the possibility of another cause. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, Los Angeles studied Rifaximin and found it to be very effective in controlling symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Working on the theory that IBS is caused by bacterial overgrowth, they used Rifaximin, a non-absorbed antibiotic. This drug stays in the gut and is not absorbed into the blood stream.
Mark Pimental, MD at Cedars-Sinai linked bloating to bacterial fermentation by using Lactulose breath test to diagnose Small Intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). This test monitors levels of hydrogen and methane on the breath. These two gases are released following bacterial fermentation. Rifaximin was shown to reduce the bacterial level and significantly reduce Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms in these patients.
The Lactulose test plus the significant benefits of Rifaximin suggests that small Intestine bacterial overgrowth may be a causative factor in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Leonard Weinstock, MD at Washington University tested 254 Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers that met the Rome 11 Criteria by using the Lactulose test and found Small Intestine bacterial overgrowth in 161. The patients tested positive for SIBO showed significant improvement of IBS symptoms following Rifaximin treatment.
It seems that Small Intestinal bacterial overgrowth is a possible cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and when recognised by a positive Lactulose breath test, a very effective treatment is Rifaximin.
This gives strength to the argument that Irritable Bowel Syndrome is caused by bad bacteria. More trials are needed. In addition not all patients have a positive Lactulose breath test. It is, however, an exiting and encouraging new avenue to pursue. At present Rifaximin is approved by the FDA for use in traveller's diarrhoea.
People that have fibromyalgia syndrome experience pain in the ligaments, tendons and muscles, and they say that they ache all over. Sometimes, patients can feel that their muscles burn, and sometimes twitch. Fibromyalgia syndrome has unknown causes, and this disease consists in a widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder. This syndrome can develop in people of all ages, and is seems it is more common in women.
Scientists discovered that there is a similarity between fibromyalgia syndrome and a post-viral state. They observed that in a bad flu you experience the same symptoms like in fibromyalgia syndrome , and here we may mention deep pain in every muscle of the body, fatigue, and the feeling you have lost your energy.
There are a few symptoms that are associated to fibromyalgia syndrome. The pain that appears in this syndrome can be experienced in different ways by different patients. The patients can say they feel the pain as deep muscular aching, shooting, throbbing or stabbing, but they can also experience intense burning. Usually the pain is more intense in the morning, and the most affected are the muscles that are used repetitively. Fatigue is another sympthom that appears. It can be mild in some patients, while other may say they lost all their energy, or they experience great difficulties in concentrating and when they want to move their arms and legs. A lot of patients that are having fibromyalgia syndrome have a sleep disorder, called the alpha-EEG anomaly. Scientists found out that these patients had no difficulties in falling asleep, but their deep level sleep was many times interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity. The scientists used a machine that recorded brain waves during patient's sleep to uncover this condition. If you wake up and feel you had an uncomfortable sleep, it is possible that the doctor will assume you suffer from a sleep disorder. Also, chronic headaches, are usual to appear in 70% of the patients having fibromyalgia syndrome.
The persons that have fibromyalgia syndrome can experience the apparition of other syndromes too. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome can appear to almost 75% of the patients and is causing varying degree of jaw discomfort. There can also appear in 40-70% of the patients the irritable bowel syndrome, which includes diarrhea, frequent abdominal pain, constipation, abdominal gas and nausea.
There also can appear other symptoms, like irritable bladder, the feeling of swollen extremities, dizziness, premenstrual syndrome and painful periods, morning stiffness, skin sensitivities, numbness and tingling sensations, chest pain and other. There exist some aggravating factors, and we can mention here infections, allergies, stress, depression, anxiety, changes in weather, cold or drafty environments.
In conclusion, we can say the fibromyalgia syndrome appears more often in women than in men, and the most experienced symptom is pain in the muscles, tendons and ligaments.
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Dr Phil Hariram has sinced written about articles on various topics from . Dr.Phil Hariram is a retired General Practitioner. He has treated IBS patients for 27 years. He understands why hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for IBS. His ebook, ?Irritable Bowel Syndrome. You take control.? gives a unique insight into how IBS is. Dr Phil Hariram's top article . to your Favourites.
Groshan Fabiola has sinced written about articles on various topics from Woman Menopause, Medical Condition and Health. For more resources on and espcially about. Groshan Fabiola's top article generates over 6120000 views. to your Favourites.