Is the pain and discomfort dragging you down?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gut disorder, which currently affects up to 1 in 5 people at some time during their life.
The cause is not known, and its symptoms can be quite variable and erratic.
These symptoms can include abdominal pain, bloating, and sometimes bouts of diarrhoea and/or constipation.
Although there is no real cure for IBS there are a number of ways to manage and control its symptoms.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common ‘functional’ disorder of the gut. (The gut includes the bowels.)
A functional disorder means there is a problem with the function of a part of the body, but there is no abnormality in the structure.
So, in IBS, the function of the gut is upset, but all parts of the gut look normal, even when looked at under a microscope.
IBS can affect anyone at any age, but it commonly first develops in young adults and teenagers. Women are affected more often than men.
The symptoms of IBS can include:
- Abdominal pain and discomfort
- Abdominal contractions, spasms or cramps
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Nausea
- Excess wind
- Vomiting
- Indigestion
Note: passing blood is not a symptom of IBS. You should tell a doctor if you pass blood.
As the gut seems healthy the only obvious cause of IBS is the over activity of the nerves or muscles of the gut.
It may have something to do with over activity of messages sent from the brain to the gut.
Stress or emotional upset may play a role, and therefore hypnotherapy is able to treat IBS
About half of people with IBS can relate the start of symptoms to a stressful event in their life. Symptoms tend to become worse during times of stress or anxiety.
This is how Hypnotherapy can help with IBS.
Intolerance to certain foods may play a part in some cases. However, this is thought to be only in a small number of cases.
