What can reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome?

Answer 1

You can relieve irritable bowel syndrome through good diet, exercise and lifestyle. Peppermint essential oil is a good remedy for IBS. You can do these things to help sooth and relieve irritable bowel syndrome, but they are definitely not cure alls.

Answer 2

Often you can control irritable bowel syndrome by managing your diet, lifestyle and stress. Make sure you get some exercise (helps manage stress), and perhaps reduce your lifestyle for a time. As far as diet, try to cut out irritating foods by keeping a diary and noting your reaction to different meals. For me, I do best with home cooked meals (fewer preservatives), drinking hot tea (not herbal) after a heavy meal and avoid sodas or drinks with citric acid. Raisin bran cereals, whole bran muffins and such really give me problems.

Avoid taking too much anecdotal advice, because the fix for this is best done over time by paying attention to your body. Check out the related website for reliable information.

Answer 3

There is no known cure for IBS by using chemical based medicines but an early approach to herbal medicines will provide the best possible results. The patient will need to take herbal medicines for several months with utmost patience to achieve long lasting benefits since natural products have holistic healing qualities on the body and take extra time for absorption and producing satisfactory results.

Answer 4

I have been suffering with this problem for many years now, and the severity of it is such that I am no longer able to lead a normal life. I spend on average about 4 hours a day on the toilet and cannot predict when it will happen. Regardless, I have found that by keeping a few things in mind it is possible to keep the worst symptoms at bay.

1: Diet.

The importance of a good diet cannot be overstated. I would recommend that the first step anyone take is a diet of elimination to find out exactly what is causing their problems and what is safe. Also cutting down on (and eventually removing) caffeine will make a massive difference. The same goes for alcohol and carbonated beverages. Stop drinking pop! Coke, Pepsi and other similar soft drinks are some of the worse things that you can punish your GI tract with. Another thing I have found is to cut out insoluble fiber (but still manage your intake of soluble fiber very carefully). Insoluble fiber, for me, will practically cripple me for days. This is not true for all IBS sufferers, however, and is only a personal suggestion. Some sufferers can, in fact, tolerate small amounts of insoluble fiber. Find what works for you.

2: Meal portions.

Instead of eating 3 meals a day try switching to 6, smaller portioned, meals. This will aid digestion as well as cut down on gas, bloating and large stools that are difficult to pass.

3: Stress.

Learn to manage your stress. IBS and stress are strongly linked. I often find myself having an attack during periods of elevated anxiety. Also, whereas food-related attacks can sometimes be over in the amount of time it takes the food to pass through, stress-related attacks can last for indeterminate amounts of time. If you have a problem managing stress I would recommend seeing a health practitioner. In the past I myself have had to be prescribed both clonazepam and seroquil to help manage my symptoms. Although this is not an attractive solution to many, including myself, it really can make a difference, and I found that I was able to wean myself off (under supervision) with relative ease once their usefulness was over.

4: Nutrition.

It is often the case that IBS sufferers are not getting enough nutrients due to problems with absorption in the intestinal wall. Take multi-vitamins and, if you need to, like me, drink meal-replacement drinks. I would not recommend protein bars or other similar supplements - often they contain ingredients that will do more harm than good.

5: Exercise.

This hardly needs any explanation. Light exercise will help keep your body healthy and can help relieve abdominal pain or discomfort.

6: DIET.

Again, this cannot be overstated. If you continue to eat foods with disregard for your condition then you will suffer for it. I cannot tell you the amount of times I have said to myself, 'screw it, I'm going to eat this piece of chocolate', only to end up doubled over in agony the next day, spending hours on the toilet. JUST DON'T EAT IT!

For specific info on which foods can be good and bad, check out this site: http://www.ibstales.com/ibs-foods.htm

and this one:

http://chriskresser.com/got-digestive-problems-take-it-easy-on-the-veggies

Remember, every person's IBS is as unique as them. If you follow these guides blindly, chances are you will suffer. Learn about what causes your personal symptoms through experimentation and an elimination diet.

Good luck to all my fellow IBS sufferers out there. I sincerely hope you can find a happy balance and live a normal, happy life. :)

Answer 5

There is no cure for IBS but in the future, gene therapy may offer a cure.

Answer 6

Dietary changes, drugs, and psychological treatment are often able to eliminate or substantially reduce its symptoms.

Answer 7

A friend recommended Sukondee Chinese Medicine to me.

It was very effective at relieving my symptoms.

Answer 8

Irritable bowel syndrome treatment is a treatment to get rid of irritable bowel. In order to do so, a healthier diet and medicine is able to take care of this disorder.