
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, more commonly known as IBS, is a relatively common digestive disorder that can result in persistent diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and abdominal pain. By current estimates, it is thought that about 10-15% of the population is suffering with IBS.
Diagnosis
There is no test that is used to confirm the presence of IBS. Rather, the diagnosis is achieved by ruling out other digestive disorders that cause similar symptoms such as celiac disease, crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or diverticulitis.
Treatment
Treating IBS is no easy job as there is no direction of treatment. With a diagnosis of IBS, there is no information on why you are experiencing the symptoms you have, only that they are present.
Enter Naturopathic Medicine: our job is to investigate the why. Once you know why you have your symptoms, you can treat the cause.
Symptoms associated with IBS
- Abdominal pain or cramping that is relieved with a bowel movement
- Diarrhea, constipation, or occasionally, both
- Bloating or swelling of your abdomen
- Excessive flatulence
- Mucus in the stool
- Nausea
- Heartburn
In my experience, there are four main causes of why someone can develop irritable bowel syndrome:
The good news is, once you know why you have IBS, it’s relatively easy to treat! I would recommend making an appointment with your local naturopath to investigate your digestive health and create a treatment plan that is personalized to your condition.
Yours in health,
