However, you may want to seek out other therapy options, if you don't feel comfortable taking medication daily. You have the control over your Irritable bowel syndrome and ultimately make all decisions about what treatment you need.
The great thing is that whether you are on medication or not, there are several things you can do at home to help with irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. Hypnosis
You might want to think about hypnosis for your IBS symptoms, if you are more into alternative medicine and other more natural treatments. There are usually three types of people when it comes to hypnosis: those that don't believe in it at all, those that love it, and those that have never tried it.
However, you too might see the positive effects it can have on your mind and body, once you try hypnosis. When it comes to how hypnosis relates to Irritable Bowel Syndrome, the answer lies in the patient's stress level.
Hypnosis works to lessen overall stress and when it is effective in doing so, irritable bowel syndrome patients will experience fewer IBS symptoms. Mainly, a hypnotist can help get you to a deep relaxed state where you can learn to endorse positive thoughts about your overall health.
There are ways to practice this at home as well. You can learn to use self-hypnotherapy while you are on your own at home, or in between hypnosis treatments.
Basically, irritable bowel treatment hypnosis is much like a deep meditation. You will have less stress and will be able to cope with IBS much easier, if you take the time to work on your mind as well as your body. Yoga
You probably understand already why people are drawn to it, if you have ever tried yoga. It is not only a way to get in shape, but also a way to unwind and clear your mind of stress. It is very effective in helping with irritable bowel syndrome symptoms.
The idea of yoga deals with the body and the mind, which is what an IBS sufferer needs to focus on. There are many yoga positions that are specifically designed to help promote better digestion and to ease digestive symptoms.
You can do yoga in the comfort of your own home. Get a DVD with basic yoga moves on it and get started right away!
Exercise
For an IBS syndrome sufferer, exercise is important for a variety of reasons. First, exercise generally makes your body stronger. It is usually a good idea to be on a regular exercise program, no matter what disease or disorder you might be suffering from.
Exercise boosts the immune system, making other diseases and disorders less likely to occur.
Second, exercise is an excellent stress-reliever. Some medical practitioners believe that IBS syndrome has psychological roots. This means that IBS syndrome might have its beginnings in a mental state.
A highly-stressed mind is prone to mental problems; mental problems lead to physical problems. IBS syndrome symptoms have often been observed to occur when a person is under unusual amounts of stress.
So it has not been proved that stress is a cause of IBS syndrome, but it certainly worsens the situation. Every effort to reduce undue stress must be made. Exercising is one of the best ways to do this.
Good Sleep Habits
One of the biggest factors in your overall Irritable Bowel Syndrome treatment is getting enough sleep. Studies show that Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers who don't get at least 8 hours of sleep a night have a higher frequency of symptoms.
So this home treatment is very inexpensive, but it can be difficult when you are on a set schedule. Just try to get yourself into the bed fifteen to thirty minutes earlier each night. Before you know it, you will work yourself up to getting those 8 hours you need, without feeling like you are missing out on anything.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is not a disease per se but a functional disorder. Until now, the medical community does not have a definite answer why and how it happens but I have my own theory, not from a qualified medical perspective but from a sufferer’s perspective. I think that the most important thing to know is that IBS is not terminal. The effects from IBS symptoms are what cause us (IBS sufferers) all the pain, discomfort and suffering.
On a bigger perspective, it is estimated that IBS affects about 30% of the world’s population. It can range from mild and infrequent attacks, to more severe hospital care. This percentage is expected to increase with all the processed foods and increasingly unhealthy lifestyle among humans.
At present, IBS is diagnosed via test elimination and symptom guideline called “Rome III Diagnostic Criteria" (some of these guidelines defer) but generally, if you have suffered
“Stomach discomfort or abdominal pain 3 days in a month for the last 3 to 4 months and this is relieved by having bowel movements. There is also noticeable change in stool form and frequency"
Before one can conclude one has IBS, it is best to get an endoscopy and colonscopy, and other tests done especially the H-Pylorii test. Once these are eliminated, and the symptoms persist, then it is likely to be IBS.
In the IBS world, there are generally two classifications – IBS diarrhea (IBS-D) and IBS constipation (IBS-C). Sometimes one can suffer both, and it changes but predominantly a person will suffer on type.
Some other common symptoms are excessive burping, flatulence (usually with bad smell) and extensive bloating. This is common for both IBS-D or IBS-C.
I find that the most pressing issue with IBS sufferers is pain management. I use to control this without giving much thought to long term strategy. This can be defeating because we are just fixing a problem and attempting to learn to manage our IBS. We have to realize that IBS is not going to leave us anytime soon, so a long term perspective is needed.
Over the years, I started to look long term to manage IBS and here is what I have discovered. In order to do that one must look into these 6 strategies and develop plans, routines and knowledge:
•Relieve Pain. This has to be the first and most important. In the beginning, this must be the first thing to address. Knowing what to do and what to take which can provide immediate or near immediate pain relief is priority one. •Promote Healing. Once pain is managed, we have to try to take care and promote the healing process. This can be in the form of foods we take and exercises we do. •Remove Symptoms. Even with the best of us, IBS symptoms do flare up. It could be caused by the trigger food we have taken, which is usually the case or some routine that we did not follow. We must then know what to take or do to quickly to nip the symptoms before it becomes too much to handle. •Stress Management. I think this is one of the main culprits for an IBS sufferer. In fact, stress is the major cause for most critical diseases. Anyway, we need to how to de-stress because having to deal with IBS is a very tiring and stressful period in itself. Thus, knowing how to calm down mentally and physically is very important to create a ‘clear head’ in dealing with IBS symptoms. •Remove Toxins (detoxification) Toxins indirectly will aggravate IBS symptoms flare-ups. The more toxins we have in the body, the more severe the symptoms become. If we understand and know how to remove toxins through sweat, breath, urine and bowel movements, then we are in better position to reduce the effects of the symptoms. •Habits. Finally, putting all the ‘best routine’ that works for you and then doing it everyday diligently requires the routine to become a daily habit. There will be several types of routines one have to develop for different circumstances.
To recap, the main idea I wanted to present here is the holistic strategy needed to finally manage IBS. Even though we recognize that IBS is incurable, we also know that with the right knowledge, one can manage the symptoms and its effects. By managing IBS, an IBS sufferer’s life can be as fulfilling as a non-IBS sufferer.
Both Nishanth Reddy & Terence Oth Oth are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Nishanth Reddy has sinced written about articles on various topics from Types of Cancer, High Cholesterol and Aging. Nishanth Reddy is an author and publisher of many health related websites. For more information on Irritable bowel syndrome causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment methods, visit his website: