How To Manage Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Table of Contents:

Introduction...4
Chapter 1: What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?...5
Chapter 2: Treatments: The Overview...10
Chapter 3: Stress Is A Factor...15
Chapter 4: Your Diet’s Role In Your IBS...21
Chapter 5: Understanding The Medications...35
Chapter 6: Alternative Treatments To IBS...42
Chapter 7: Prevention, The Largest Factor...55
Conclusion: Your IBS To Do List...60


Irritable Bowel Syndrome, also known as IBS, is a condition in which the bowel does not function as it should. If you are one that has been diagnosised with IBS, then there is a real need to find the help to relieve the symptoms you are facing. If you haven’t been diagosised yet, it is time to consider heading to the doctor if you do feel that these are things happening to you.
The problem is that many medications for IBS are not all that safe and do provide some harsh side effects. Is there a way to safely manage IBS symptoms? How do you go on with your every day life without having to worry about these symptoms?
What’s even more difficult for those that are suffering from IBS, they don’t like to talk about their condition. After all, to many individuals, talking about the bowel is not something they want to do.
The good news is that there are some effective means that can help you to relieve the pain and uncomfortable-ness that you face due to IBS. In this e-book, you will learn how to manage the symptoms of IBS that seem to control your life to make them livable.
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Chapter 1: What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Irritable bowel syndrome is something that no one really wants to talk about, but more people need to hear about.
This condition affects an average of 50% of those that visit the gastroenterologist each year. Even if you haven’t gone there yet, it is likely that at some point, you will want to make the journey.
The condition is one that is likely to cause you a great deal of pain and discomfort. For that reason, it is imperative to learn all that you can about what irritable bowel syndrome is as well as how it can be relieved. That’s what we aim to do here. But, before you can find relief from irritable bowel syndrome, you must know what it actually is.
What Is It?
IBS, as it is called for short, is also known as spastic colon. In this condition, individuals will experience pain in their abdomen. The pain is due to a disorder of the function of your bowel. In addition to pain, you may also experience changes in normal bowel habits.
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IBS Symptoms
There are many symptoms that can be contributed to that of irritated bowel syndrome. Learning about these can help you and your doctor to get a start on what’s wrong. In many cases, IBS symptoms may seem like a normal bowel, but in fact there could be additional problems lurking.
The most frequent symptoms include:
 Pain in the lower abdomen
 Bloating
 Pain that is relieved by defecation
If you are suffering from any of these conditions, you may want to talk to your doctor, especially if they are recurring.
The symptoms that you may experience may feel like diarrhea or even constipation. In some individuals it moves from one extreme to the next. A change in the stool is often a symptom of IBS.
It is also believed that those that have other conditions are more likely to experience IBS. Those conditions include chronic fatigue syndrome, stress, chronic pelvic pain and fibromyalgia.
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Some doctors have found that there is a link between irritable bowel syndrome and mental conditions. They link IBS to having both neurological and psychological components.
In addition to this, conditions can make it worsen. For example, menstruation usually makes IBS worse or makes the symptoms more pronounced.
What To Do First
If you believe that you are suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, it is imperative that you work on getting the relief you need. The first step is to be diagnosed by your doctor.
Most doctors will be able to provide you with the necessary testing and evaluation. Your doctor will want to track your bowel movements over a period of time as well as monitor your other conditions during the monitoring.
There are several things that they will look at.
1. Are you relieved from the pain after defecation?
2. When you feel this way, is there a change in the frequency of your stool?
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3. When you are experiencing this pain, is there a change in the form or the way that your stool looks?
Then, they will gauge the differences and answers found with what is considered to be normal against what is not.
 If you have more than three bowel movements per day or you have less than three movements per week, that is considered abnormal.
 If you have hard or lumpy stool or you have a very loose and watery stool that is consid