Understanding Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. It is a chronic condition characterised by symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea. Although IBS is not a life-threatening disease, it can significantly impact a person's quality of life.
Not so fun fact: 80% of people with IBS have SIBO!
There are three main types of IBS:
IBS-D (diarrhoea-predominant)
IBS-C (constipation-predominant)
IBS-M (mixed type).
✨ If you would like to learn a little more about this, click here. ✨
The exact cause of IBS is unknown, but several factors are believed to contribute to its development of symptoms, including:
Abnormalities in the gut-brain axis: The communication between the gut and the brain can become disrupted, leading to symptoms of IBS (Gut Centred Hypnotherapy is an excellent treatment for this disruption 😉)
Changes in gut bacteria: An imbalance in the gut microbiome can cause IBS symptoms.
Food sensitivities: Certain foods can trigger symptoms of IBS, such as dairy, gluten, and fructose.
Stress: High levels of stress can worsen IBS symptoms.
Hormonal changes: Women are more likely to develop IBS, and symptoms can worsen during menstrual cycles.
Basically, different factors may cause IBS in different people.
Some of these are:
Food intolerances / sensitivities, in which certain foods cause digestive symptoms
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
Certain mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety
Bacterial infections in your digestive tract
Poor microbiome health
Hypochlorhydria
Tummy bugs
Parasites
The good news is that I am here to provide you with several recommendations to help manage IBS!
The first is lifestyle changes & managing stress:
Stress is one of the main IBS triggers (this is the brain-gut interaction I mentioned earlier).
Emotional stress can cause stomach pain and the IBS pain can worsen your emotional stress. This can become a difficult cycle to break.
The moral of the story is that managing your stress levels can help interrupt the cycle! Activities like: meditation, yoga & breathing exercises can help prevent symptoms if you do them regularly. And they might help relieve symptoms that have already started.
I am also beyond excited to announce that Gut Centred Hypnotherapy & Neurolinguistic-Programming will be coming soon to the LMN clinic. The results behind this are absolutely astonishing - with scientific studies reporting a 50% reduction in symptoms of IBS & SIBO for FIVE YEARS when undergoing just 12 weeks of Gut Centred Hypnosis…
My next recommendation is regular exercise:
Exercise may help with IBS for a couple reasons. Firstly, walking & weight training is excellent at lowering inflammation. As a result, it may relieve symptoms like constipation and bloating.
Secondly, exercise is a well-known stress reliever and stress management is essential for living with IBS.
This third one might seem obvious, but I believe we all need a gentle reminder sometimes…
Staying hydrated:
Drinking enough water is important for your overall health but it can also help with digestion.
Dehydration can cause or worsen constipation. Without going into too many unpleasant details, drinking enough water helps make your #2 easier to pass.
And finally, a suggestion I make to my clients is to keep a food diary:
IBS is a highly individual condition. The foods that contribute to symptoms in one person won’t necessarily have the same effect in someone else. Keeping a food diary is a good way to track your symptoms and make connections between the foods you eat and the symptoms you experience.
Overall, IBS is such a common condition, but there are things you can do to help manage your symptoms.
By understanding the different types, causes, and treatment options, you can take steps to manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life. If you suspect you have IBS, it is important to speak with a professional to receive an accurate and appropriate treatment plan.
If you’d like to come and see me about a treatment plan, to help manage your symptoms, simply book in below.