As I have suffered with recurrent stomach problems over the last year, I was interested to see an information leaflet at my local chemist on tummy troubles. I appear to have many of the symptoms listed under Irritable Bowel Syndrome and wonder if I should see my doctor about it?
Conventional remedy:
The bowel is a muscular tube that propels food along in waves, a process called peristalsis. People with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) have a disorder of these muscles with resulting spasm that causes both pain and diarrhoea. Symptoms of IBS include continuous or colicky pain in the abdomen that is often felt in the lower or left side of the abdomen and can last minutes or hours. The pain is often relieved by passing wind or by a bowel motion. Tummy bloating, lose bowel movements and passing mucus are all common. Some sufferers experience alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhoea, while others report mild nausea and lack of appetite.
IBS is the commonest disorder of the bowel. It is never life threatening but produces a lot of discomfort and misery. There do not appear to be any hereditary factors but there may be many reasons why a person develops an irritable bowel. These include: stress and anxiety, infection of the bowel, food irritation and food allergies, and overuse of antibiotics.
You should see your doctor who will carry out blood and stool sample tests to ensure there is no other condition causing your symptoms. He may also arrange for you to have a sigmoidoscopy (a telescopic examination of the lower bowel).
If your symptoms are severe your doctor can prescribe various types of medication to control your IBS. These include antidiarrhoeal or antispasmodic preparations, bulk forming agents or laxatives. There is currently much debate on the role of fibre in IBS. Some patients with constipation find increasing fibre in natural or supplement form helps, while others appear to benefit from a low fibre diet. Abdominal pain can be treated by anti-spasmodic drugs such as mebeverine. If severe, diarrhoea may need treatment with antidiarrhoeal drugs. Because stress and anxiety are common triggers, some form of relaxation therapy or behavioural therapy may help.
Self-help measures are also useful in minimising the symptoms of irritable bowel. These include identifying the things that exacerbate the symptoms and avoiding foods which upset your stomach. Irritable bowel syndrome does not cause cancer. If you are suffering from unusual tummy symptoms or changes in bowel habits you should arrange to see your doctor to confirm the diagnosis. You should however, avoid taking any medicines not recommended by your doctor until a definite diagnosis has been made.
Dr Muiris Houston
Alternative remedy:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a functional disorder of the bowel and may have a range of symptoms which vary from individual to individual.
The more common symptoms are frequency of bowel movement, often with loose stools, pain, flatulence and abdominal bloating. Constipation may be more frequent for some sufferers and there is often a see-saw pattern of constipation and diarrhoea.
Stress is one of the main causes of this condition but certain foods may also exacerbate or trigger an episode.
Herbal medicine can prove very effective in treating irritable bowel syndrome. The practitioner can also help the sufferer identify those lifestyle habits which may be contributing to the condition. Herbs such as valerian, skullcap and hops are invaluable for lowering nervous tension.
Hops also combine well with lemon balm and chamomile to increase relaxation of the gut, due to their excellent anti-spasmodic action. Those who suffer with "wind" or flatulence as part of this condition will also obtain relief from fennel seed, caraway or cardamon.
If constipation is the main symptom, sufferers will benefit from dietary changes. Moving from a low fibre to a high fibre diet may increase risk of flatulence and discomfort and therefore the process may have to be gradual, making the transition from low to medium to high-fibre foods.
Using linseed will give bulk to stools while other herbs such as yellow dock, rhubarb root, or Cascara sagrada can stimulate peristalsis of the gut. Alternatively, a very loose stool will require some herbs with astringent properties. Agrimony often works well without risk of griping pains. To obtain best results for your symptoms, consult a trained herbalist.
Helen McCormack
Helen McCormack, medical herbalist, is a member of the Irish Association of Medical Herbalists and can be contacted on 091-638183