This is a continuation of my blog on GI issues. I covered some of the problems starting with the mouth, esophagus, stomach and the beginning of the small intestine (duodenum). The small intestine from the duodenum is called the jejunum. This continues on with the ileum. Then this continues on with the ascending, transverse, and descending colon and rectum. I will cover more on the colon/rectum, in another blog. But for now let’s talk about a common lower GI problem called IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). This is a common condition characterized by recurrent abdominal pain that may come on quite suddenly and can be associated with abnormal bowel movements. There are many people out there that have ended up in the E.R. with this awful pain before they found out that it is IBS and that they may have bouts of this for the rest of their life. Some of the common symptoms are severe cramps that send them promptly to the bathroom. They may start out with very hard stools that relieve some of the pain but only to continue with cramps and more bowel movements that are progressively softer until they end up with massive diarrhea. Or a person may feel bloated and constantly constipated. Or a person may alternate between having diarrhea vs. constipation. I have read that IBS is a “functional disorder,” meaning that the intestines look normal, but that they function abnormally. The cause seems to be uncertain. Some research indicates that IBS may be due to hypersensitivity of the gut. If this is true, a person could be more sensitive to certain foods. Other research indicates that stress or anxiety may contribute to bouts of IBS. Or you may have a combination of the two. You should discuss all this with your doctor who may send you to a Gastroenterologist. I strongly recommend this specialist. There are other things that could produce these same symptoms that are more serious so have this checked out. IBS itself is generally considered to be non-life threatening and I have read that it doesn’t increase your risk of cancer. Also, it doesn’t seem to be related to Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. These last two things comprise what is frequently called inflammatory bowel disease or IBD. IBS does not fall into this category. But IBS does tend to be chronic. Research indicates that a healthy diet and regular exercise are good starting points to managing IBS. Well, doesn’t EVERYTHING start with that advice. Duh. I do have one final bit of advice here, though. That is that VSL#3 (a probiotic) could help one manage IBS. Even to the point that a person may never or almost never have another bout. But this must be taken under the advice and care of your doctor, It is not a prescription medication and is quite expensive. Also, I would advise that you start off with a small portion of the envelope rather than a whole envelope or more per day. This also has to be refrigerated and that can present problems for many people such as airline pilots.
Be sure you discuss your GI issues with your doctor.
Best of luck and I hope I have helped someone out there. If so, I would love to hear from you.
