Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Do you have a very bloated painful stomach? Do you dread going to the bathroom because you have severe constipation and it hurts so much? Or do you have to run to the bathroom because you have diarrhea after eating? Do you get embarrassed because you have excessive gas or burp a lot?

You have gone to your medical doctor, got a colonoscopy, and ruled out structural problems in the gut like ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s, or diverticulitis. As a diagnosis of exclusion you have been labelled as having irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This is called a guess. Next you are prescribed a medication to get rid of your IBS symptoms. Maybe it’s a laxative for constipation, or a drug to help diarrhea, or even an anti-depressant. Maybe you have been told to increase your fibre intake in the from of breads and cereals and these could be the foods that are actually causing your IBS in the first place.

Masking your gut symptoms with medications isn’t going to solve the underlying cause of your IBS symptoms. Long term medication use will turn into a lifetime of frustration, pain, and suffering. Although there is a place for medications, prolonged use of these drugs are dangerous.

When you understand the underlying cause(s) of your IBS symptoms you can treat it more effectively and get your life back. Underlying causes can be food intolerances, gut infections, overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine, an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut. Sometimes the nerve supply from the brain and spine to the smooth muscles in your gut isn’t working properly. Sometimes the valve between your small and large intestine doesn’t open or close correctly.

There are many causes of IBS you just have dig deeper to find the underlying cause. When you find it, there are many natural ways to treat your IBS symptoms that are safer and more effective than drugs. Treating the underlying cause of your IBS naturally will help get you well and keep you well.