Home Remedies for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Affecting nearly 60 million Americans, irritable bowel syndrome (also known as IBS) is a non-life threatening condition that affects the intestines. For some people, IBS lasts a lifetime, while the symptoms of up to 30% of cases eventually fade. To make living with the condition more bearable, consider using home remedies for irritable bowel syndrome.
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder that affects the intestines – especially the lower intestinal tract [1]. The condition involves pain and abnormal reactions of the intestines. Irritable bowel syndrome often starts in childhood or early adulthood, but can develop at any age. The condition seems to affect women more than men. When a patient complains about the typical symptoms linked to IBS, they are often sent to a gastroenterologist for diagnosis.
Causes and Symptoms
There is no one cause of irritable bowel syndrome, but there are several different factors that could contribute to the condition – ranging from issues with muscle movement in the intestine to decreased stretching of an intestine [2]. Other theories associated with IBS include mixed signals from the brain to the digestive tract, issues digesting certain foods, hormonal changes, taking certain antibiotics, and a stressful lifestyle.
Symptoms for IBS range from mild to severe with the majority of cases involving mild symptoms. People who suffer from stress or mood disorders (such as depression and anxiety) tend to experience the worst symptoms. Common symptoms include:
• Abdominal cramping and pain (usually comes and goes)
• Gas and bloating
• Stomach pain after eating
• Chronic and frequent constipation
• Chronic and frequent diarrhea
• Emotional distress and depression
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea, especially after eating
• Unusually sensitive intestines
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Mucus-covered stools
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Home Remedies
While irritable bowel syndrome is a long-term problem, you can still take measures to reduce the severity of your symptoms. One way to take better control of your life is to get familiar with home remedies for IBS, such as the following suggestions:
a) High-Fiber Diet:
Increase the number of foods that contain fiber to encourage better movement of the intestines and treat IBS symptoms.
b) Avoid Certain Foods:
As an IBS patient, you need to pay attention to the foods that could disrupt your stomach and intestines. This includes meals and ingredients that contain caffeine, fat, spices, and alcohol. Also, limit your intake of foods with a reputation for producing gas, which includes produce, such as onions, beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, red peppers, and green peppers.
c) Yoga:
The stretching and breathing that goes into completing yoga positions can help relax the body and calm symptoms associated with IBS.
d) Watch Your Dairy Intake:
The fat in whole-milk dairy products can act as an irritant to the stomach of IBS patients. Instead, choose products made with low fat or skim milk.
e) Avoid Citrus:
When choosing fruit, limit your intake of citrus (such as oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines), which can easily upset the stomach.
f) Address Sugar Intolerance:
Some IBS patients cannot tolerate fructose (fruit sugar) or sucrose (table sugar) and must address difficulties digesting these ingredients.
g) Limit Caffeine Intake:
Since caffeine stimulates the intestines and can cause cramping, it is suggested to limit your intake of coffee, tea, cola drinks, and chocolate. Products that contain high amounts of fat and sugar do the most damage.
h) Curb Drinking Habits:
Since alcohol can cause diarrhea, watch your consumption to avoid worsening IBS symptoms.
i) Quit Smoking:
Smoking tobacco products has an effect on the movement of the digestive system, making it a good idea to quit this vice.
j) Cut Out the Fat:
Since fatty ingredients and foods are harder to digest, it is highly suggested to limit your intake of fatty meals, butter, and oils.
k) Artificial Sweetener Watch:
Since sugarless gum and candy products contain hard-to-digest artificial sweeteners and can aggravate irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, such as sorbitol, it is recommended to limit your intake.
l) Visualization Techniques:
To alleviate stress, use the relaxation techniques of visualization to melt away stress. Close your eyes and think of a setting or scene that relaxes you. Pay attention to the details and make sure you concentrate on the way things look, feel, smell, sound, and taste. Some people use CDs with recordings of nature sounds or soothing music to help set the scene.
m) Meditation Techniques:
Since tension affects the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, meditation techniques can help. For example, breathing exercises are a quick and easy way to calm the body. Learn how to breathe deeply and evenly where the chest slowly rises and falls.
n) Hot Bath:
To relieve stomach cramping associated with irritable bowel syndrome, soak in a hot bath.
o) Heating Pad:
When lying in bed, apply a heating pad to the stomach to ease cramping.
p) Reflexology:
Some people have treated their diarrhea, constipation, and other IBS symptoms by using a foot massage technique called reflexology.
q) Aromatherapy:
Some essential oils have been proven helpful for treating IBS symptoms by providing a relaxing and antispasmodic effect when rubbed on the stomach.
r) Juice Therapy:
The consumption of raw fruit and vegetable juices is believed to help treat medical conditions by strengthening the immune system and cleansing the body.
s) Water:
To promote a healthy body, drink at least eight glasses of water every day, which also helps keep the intestines cleaner. When eating, save the liquids for in between meals to avoid diluting digestive juices and interrupting digestion.
t) Say ‘No’ to Soda:
The carbonation in soda produces gas in the body that can worsen symptoms of IBS.
u) Smaller Portions:
Some people avoid symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome by frequently consuming smaller meals instead of a grand buffet of dishes.
v) Regular Exercise:
Keep moving to stay ahead of irritable bowel syndrome, which can cause the body to become sluggish and unproductive from the inside out. Aim for moderate activity to keep your digestive system working properly.
Resources
[1] http://www.webmd.com/ibs/guide/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs-topic-overview
[2] http://health.yahoo.net/channel/irritable-bowel-syndrome_causes-and-risk-factors
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