Curing Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Alleviating Symptoms

Unfortunately, at this time curing irritable bowel syndrome is not possible. Irritable bowel syndrome also known as IBS has symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, spasms, gas, bloating, nausea and constipation. Some researchers believe that perhaps twenty percent of the world population has been affected by the disorder and some believe IBS is more common than any other type of chronic health disorder in the United States.

Medications for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Since your doctor cannot offer you a cure for irritable bowel syndrome he will typically provide medication to prevent and diminish symptoms. Your doctor might prescribe anti-spasmodic medications like dicyclomine and hyoscyamine. Medicines to combat diarrhea such as loperamide or a kaolin/pectin medicine or diphenoxylate/atropine have proven to be affective. None of these medications should be taken for a long period of time unless recommended by your physician.

Some doctors suggest IBS patients try anti-depressants in small dosages to relieve IBS symptoms. If constipation is the primary problem for a woman doctors sometimes prescribe Tegaserod. Stool softeners and calcium channel blockers are also effective for alleviating symptoms.

Proper Diet for IBS patients

Diet is very important for people who suffer from IBS. Certain types of food can negatively affect your GI tract. Foods that have a high level of insoluble fiber, caffeine, fat, carbonated beverages or drinking alcohol can cause problems by irritating the GI tract. Muscles in the colon can be effected and cause you pain, diarrhea, gas, constipation and also bloating.

If you suffer from IBS make sure you have the proper amount of soluble fiber in your diet. Soluble fiber cannot cure irritable bowel syndrome but it can prevent IBS symptoms and help lessen them when they arrive. Soluble fiber is found in foods containing starches. Soluble fiber is excellent at preventing and reducing diarrhea and constipation problems. Spend some time with IBS experts and come up with a proper diet for yourself.

Supplements for IBS

There are many supplements that are used for dealing with IBS symptoms. Some people have been helped by using pre-biotic soluble fiber supplements, peppermint and fennel. Also, probiotics and digestive enzymes have been shown to be helpful for IBS although they won't cure irritable bowel syndrome. Most IBS supplements are considered to be safe and have a small chance of producing unwanted side effects.

You may be surprised to learn that alternative therapies such as stomach focused hypnotherapy and acupuncture have been clinically proven to help IBS sufferers relieve their undesirable symptoms. Some researchers believe that hypnotherapy has the potential for curing irritable bowel syndrome but some experts are skeptical. Stress management is important when dealing with IBS. Stress restrains the sympathetic nerve plexuses and also causes excessive adrenaline to be produced. Curing irritable bowel syndrome has not yet occurred but there are many items available that can help you prevent some of the symptoms as well as alleviate the symptoms when they happen.