Irritable bowel syndrome and its impact on quality of life
Monday, May 31st, 2010 Embarrassment, fatigue, pain
irritable bowel syndrome or IBS, can have serious consequences for any aspect of a patient's life. IBS can also complicate other chronic illnesses such as clinical depression, hemorrhoids, and general anxiety. IBS taps into fears children are unable to control their bowel movements. This lack of control and pain can cause feelings of low self-esteem in a patient. Some potentially dangerous to try to take care of himself was created becausepatient may be too shy or too ashamed to go to a doctor.
Contributing to the problem is that IBS is a mysterious condition that often serves as a catch-all phrase for many types of chronic digestive problems, such as spastic colon and colitis. The famous Mayo Clinic suggest that there is no diagnostic test for IBS, so that a doctor can test for serious off more like a cancer before a diagnosis. Symptoms of IBS aresimilar to Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, so there is the risk of misdiagnosis. The misconception that IBS does not exist and that patients are only the symptoms continue blowing into society.
Symptoms of IBS
Another factor that is difficult to diagnose IBS is that each person experiences their own set of symptoms. The most common symptoms include severe abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, diarrhea, excessive flatulence, mucus-coatedstools, hemorrhoids, or lack of bowel control. The pain was relieved after defecation. The Mayo Clinic reports that are less common symptoms are fever, nausea, vomiting and sudden weight loss. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) reported that patients with IBS typically cycle between periods of diarrhea and constipation, and rarely a normal bowel movement.
For a medical diagnosis of IBS, the patient exhibited symptoms ofat least 12 weeks in the last 12 months. Although many patients waiting for a serious illness in a doctor to see that many patients are unable to diagnose IBS, because they are in the early stages of the disease. The Mayo Clinic recommends a colonoscopy for all patients with IBS symptoms to rule out colon cancer. Preparation for colonoscopy bowel cleansing involves a very long period with a liquid diet that aggravates IBSsymptoms.
Women Mode
The Mayo Clinic reported that over 50% of IBS patients are women. No one knows why women are more prone to IBS than men. The typical IBS patient is not only a woman, but a family with IBS and less than 35 years. Again, do not know why young women are more susceptible to IBS older women. There are some theories that younger women may be subject to a voltage greater than older women or older women may have learned moreability to manage stress than their younger colleagues. It is unclear how much of a role in the development of genetic IBS.
Another theory is that hormones like estrogen and progesterone may play a significant role in IBS. The NIDDK reports that women with IBS often attack just before or during periods. But does not explain why men diagnosed with IBS. Men and women report IBS attacks, sometimes when they are under enormous pressure. Perhaps the femalehormones weaken the digestive system of a woman when menstruation. The NIDDK has shown that patients with IBS many of both sexes also have a depressive disorder or an anxiety disorder. There is still much to learn about why women suffer from IBS than men. But one thing is clear – IBS can be cured in many cases.
Treatment
The treatment of IBS include dietary changes and learn to manage stress. IBS patients have frequent attacks because they consume large mealsIBS patients are children encouraged to eat regular meals per day rather than two or three large meals. The Mayo Clinic suggests that the majority of IBS patients, regular consumption of certain foods are oppressed. The patient is encouraged IBS a food diary for all food and beverage consumption to determine which foods trigger attacks, and thus prevent or drastically reduce such food or beverages to be taken.
prescription medication used to relieve the symptoms of IBS, butis not a cure. Some substances, such as laxatives are only a short-term use, because the body becomes dependent on laxatives to remove the pressure of the large intestine must be removed through the rectum. If the body becomes dependent on laxatives, making gut muscles do not use them consuming. Other drugs such as muscle relaxants bladder can cause incontinence or excessive flatulence. The Mayo Clinic reports that anti-depressants and antibiotics were prescribedoff-label for IBS.
Dangers of self-medication
Many patients with IBS use medical treatment. It is unknown how many attempt to self-care, but IBS symptoms may cause sufficient anxiety that a patient is literally something we will work in an attempt to get relief from their symptoms. Drugs may include in the counter laxatives or alcoholic beverages. Alcohol acts as both a painkiller and a muscle relaxant. But in the long term onlylead to dependence, but a worsening of symptoms. If the patient also had depression a disease such as alcohol, will worsen the symptoms or antidepressant medications or taken by anti-anxiety.
Closing
irritable bowel syndrome is not something to be ashamed or embarrassed. Treatment and should be consulted when the disease first. Patients can be helped to learn to live with IBS and the impact that the disease was to reducein their daily lives.