While symptoms can be effectively managed, IBS is not considered to be a reversible or curable disorder. Even so, many patients are able to find significant relief from their symptoms, and some medical professionals argue that IBS can be eliminated with the right combination of lifestyle changes, diet and medical care.
Is IBS Curable? Irritable Bowel Syndrome is not curable. There is no medicine that you can take that will stop IBS. However, IBS symptoms may lessen, go away for a while, or even go away altogether.
Although symptoms may come and go, for most people diagnosed with it, IBS is a chronic, lifelong condition.
IBS does not shorten the lifespan of affected individuals or lead to major life-threatening complications in most patients, and most serious symptoms can be avoided through a controlled diet and avoiding stressful situations, as stress and anxiety are known to cause IBS flare-ups.
Does IBS Get Worse with Age? Fortunately, IBS does not lead to serious health problems like inflammatory bowel diseases. IBS can get worse with age or even get better. However, just because it does not lead to serious health complications doesn't mean it won't impact your quality of life.
While we don't know what causes IBS, we do know that flare-ups are often triggered by food, caffeine, stress, carbonated drinks, artificial sugars, or infectious diarrhea. The more IBS episodes you have, the more sensitive your gut becomes to triggers.
What causes irritable bowel syndrome? While the exact cause of IBS is not clear, some common IBS triggers include diet, stress, infection and medicines. You may find that some foods make your symptoms worse, but these 'trigger foods' differ from one person to the next.
The two things most likely to make your IBS symptoms worse are the foods you eat and having emotional stress. Diet. Eating makes your colon muscles move or contract. This normally gives you an urge to have a bowel movement 30 to 60 minutes after a meal.
While irritable bowel syndrome is not life-threatening, if left untreated it can lead to hemorrhoids, mood disorders and impact quality of life for anyone who suffers from it. Irritable bowel syndrome affects about 10 – 15 percent of the worldwide population.
Probiotics have also proven beneficial in IBS patients by slowing down the transit time of the colon, reducing the average number of bowel movements per day, improving stool consistency, overall symptoms, and above all, the quality of life in these patients.
IBS is a common condition, affecting about 30% of Australians. There is no known cause, but potential triggers may include stress, infection and medication. Dietary strategies are effective management tools to improve IBS symptoms.
Caffeine. Caffeine can increase diarrhea, another major symptom of IBS. High sources of caffeine include coffee, tea, cola drinks, chocolate and some over-the-counter pain relievers designed for headache relief — check labels carefully.
They believe that the pain is not a symptom of something that can lead to death. There is no visible harm to your digestive tract that results from IBS symptoms. Now if you had IBD symptoms that would be a different matter and doctors would take your pain seriously.
Only a few clinical trials have found no apparent effect of probiotics on IBS symptoms. Generally, probiotics appear to be safe for patients with IBS.
Often, it begins in the teen years or early adulthood. It is twice as common in women as in men. It is less likely to begin in older people above 50 years of age. About 10% to 15% of people in the United States have symptoms of IBS.
Many people with IBS discover that their bowels seem to function like an 'emotional barometer', indicating how they feel about what is going on in their lives. Emotional tension always makes IBS worse. Anxiety, frustration, despair can all tie the guts in knots.
Most probiotics used in IBS treatment fall under two main groups: Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. These probiotics are thought to assist the digestive system. Among other functions, they may strengthen the intestinal barrier, assist the immune system in removing harmful bacteria, and break down nutrients.