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Check the newly updated Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatments overview with a very helpful symptom chart.
Go straight to the heart of this site with Heather's IBS Diet and break the cycle of Irritable Bowel Syndrome today!
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Do you have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)? You're not alone!
For twenty years I thought I was the only person in the world with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I wasn't, and neither are you. Living with IBS does not mean suffering in silence or just enduring the misery. This site offers information, support, and immediate tangible help for all Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. We're the largest IBS organization and IBS community on the internet, with over 80,000 members - welcome home!
If you're confident that you've been properly diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, there are several key strategies developed by best-selling author and IBS patient Heather Van Vorous to successfully manage the disorder: follow the explicit diet guidelines and recipes; reduce stress and anxiety triggers through self-hypnosis for IBS or yoga practice; inform yourself with the best-selling and best-reviewed books available; find the most helpful IBS herbal and organic fiber supplements for specific symptoms and overall digestive health; and come join the IBS community to ask questions on our expert-moderated (and very friendly!) message boards.
If you're still wondering what exactly Irritable Bowel Syndrome is and whether or not you have it, it's important to see a physician. IBS cannot be self-diagnosed, as there are many other disorders that can mimic Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms and must be ruled out by clinical tests. If you have a firm IBS diagnosis, a very reassuring place to start is with what IBS patients need - but don't get - from their doctors.
IBS - What Is It? Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Spastic Colon?
IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (also known as spastic colon, and sometimes improperly termed spastic colitis) is a devastating and incurable condition that afflicts up to 20% of the world's population. It is the most common chronic health disorder in America, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, affecting more people than asthma, diabetes, and depression combined. Irritable Bowel Syndrome affects more than twice as many women as men, for reasons that are not yet understood. IBS is a physical — not psychological — disorder characterized by lower abdominal pain (spasms or cramps) or discomfort, diarrhea, constipation (or alternating diarrhea & constipation), gas, bloating, and nausea. There is no cure for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which is actually a brain-gut dysfunction, but there are many very effective ways of controlling and even eliminating IBS symptoms through safe Irritable Bowel Syndrome treatments.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms - What Are They? How is IBS Diagnosed?
It's important to verify that your symptoms match those of Irritable Bowel Syndrome before you accept this diagnosis. As noted, IBS is characterized by continuous or recurrent lower abdominal pain or cramping (from mild to excruciating) in association with altered bowel motility (diarrhea, constipation, or both). Attacks may strike suddenly at any time of day or night, and may occasionally — though not typically — wake you from a sound sleep. Gas and bloating are common, but vomiting isn't, though it can occur due to nausea from the pain. Upper GI symptoms are not a typical part of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. For women, attacks are often associated with menstruation. Passing blood, running a fever, swollen extremities, and joint pain are not symptoms of IBS, and point to other disorders. IBS is diagnosed in part by the use of the official diagnostic criteria known as the Rome II Guidelines for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diagnosis? These Diseases Must Be Ruled Out First!
In addition to verifying that your symptoms match those of the Rome II Guidelines, it's also important that the following diseases are excluded before you accept a diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome:
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Colon and carcinoid cancer |
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Inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis) |
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Bowel obstructions |
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Diverticulosis / Diverticulitis |
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Gallbladder Problems |
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Food allergies |
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Celiac (a genetic, autoimmune disorder resulting in gluten intolerance) |
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Bacterial infections |
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Intestinal parasites |
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Endometriosis |
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Ovarian cancer |
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As a rule, all possible physical, structural, and infectious abnormalities of the GI tract need to be unquestionably eliminated before you agree to an Irritable Bowel Syndrome diagnosis. This requires a physical examination, preferably by a board-certified gastroenterologist. The medical tests needed to rule out disorders other than IBS will depend upon your age, health history, family health background, and specific symptoms.
Once you have a firm IBS diagnosis, take heart. While there is no cure yet, there are many ways to successfully manage - and prevent - all Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. You can control your IBS, not vice versa.
To start feeling better immediately, begin with the Irritable Bowel Syndrome diet and learn why how you eat is just as important as what you eat.
For tangible help, shop for IBS-specific products at Heather's Tummy Store.
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