“Is Ibs a chronic illness?” has become a hot topic in today’s health scenario. And the answer is yes.
Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) is a disorder that affects the large intestine. It is a functional disorder characterized by a group of symptoms accompanied together that include abdominal pain and changes in the consistency of bowel movements.
IBS is a long term chronic functional bowel disorder that affects frequency of defecation and consistency of stool and is one of the most common Gastrointestinal conditions. It can occur in people at any age but usually are diagnosed in young adults between 15-30 years of age.
So what causes Irritable bowel syndrome(Ibs)?
The actual cause of Ibs is unknown till the date but some following factors might be responsible for your illness. They are
- Heredity
- Environmental factors (viral, bacterial)
- Dietary factors
Sign and symptoms:
- A sense of urgency and cramping abdominal pain and colicky pain (is a cramp-like pain that originates in the small or large intestine) in the lower left side of the abdomen.
- Diarrhea (possibly 20 or more stools/day). Severe diarrhea can cause a loss of 500 to 1700 ml of water in 24 hours.
- Liquid stool occurs with tenesmus ( a continual or recurrent inclination to evacuate the bowels, caused by disorder of the rectum or other illness) and may contain blood, mucus and pus.
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Anorexia
- Fever
- Anemia
- Weight loss
- Fluid and electrolyte imbalance
Management :
- Reinforces good dietary habits (eg: avoidance of food triggers)
- Eat at regular times and chew food slowly and thoroughly.
- Adequate water intake is necessary, water should not be taken with meals because this results in abdominal distention.
- Stop using alcohol and cigarettes.
- Stress management via relaxation techniques, yoga and exercise.
Prevention:
You can’t prevent irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). But proper self-care may help ease symptoms and may extend the time between episodes. Self-care includes quitting smoking, avoiding caffeine and foods that make symptoms worse, and getting regular exercise, yoga.
Complications :
Hemorrhoids
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