Because there are many causes for IBS symptoms there are also a range of treatments. What is important in assessing the myriad of digestive tract symptoms that people can experience is determining the location and cause of the problem. Your digestive tract is inhabited by a range of 'good' bacteria called probiotics that congregate in different areas of the bowel. They can be affected by a range of viruses, bacteria, yeasts or parasites, and when this happens symptoms of IBS display. If the 'good' bacteria levels are out of balance, this potentially causes the many different types of symptoms of IBS. Research into the different causes of IBS show that this imbalance can be categorised into four categories Putrefecation, Fermentation, Deficiency and Sensitivity.
PUTREFECATION
- Symptoms: Bad breath, constipation
- Causes: High meat diet contributing to risk of bacterial infection, low fibre, stress, poor diet.
- May be linked to: Haemorrhoids, polyps, colon cancer, breast cancer, increased plasma oestrogen.
- Symptoms: Increased gas / flatulence, bloating after meals, food sensitivity, nutrient deficiencies, carbohydrate intolerance.
- Affects: Upper digestive tract.
- Causes: Low stomach acid (due to overgrowth of own bacteria, or yeast or parasite infection) reduces the digestion of food which increases the amount of fermentation in your stomach.
- May be linked to: malabsorption, intestinal tissue damage and problems with the pancreas, increased cancer risk, liver damage and vitamin B12 deficiency.
DEFICIENCY (of 'good' healthy bacteria)
- Symptoms: Constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, abdominal pain, food intolerance.
- Affects: Whole digestive tract
- Causes: Exposure to antibiotics, low fibre diet, parasite or yeast infection.
SENSITISATION
- 90% of the immune system is in the your digestive tract. An imbalance of 'good' bacteria can have huge impacts on how the immune system operates and has been linked with many chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, eczema and psoriasis.
I have come across many people who have battled with long term digestive upset using various prescriptions provided by doctors. Unfortunately the prescriptions don't treat the cause of the problem unless the patient has been correctly tested. Using the wrong prescriptions can often lead to bigger problems especially if using antibiotics or antifungals as these can wipe out our own 'good' bacteria colonies. Stress also has a huge impact on digestive function as when you are in an 'action' mode, digestive secretions are switched off and therefore extended periods of any stressful situation can be a cause on it own.
As you can see, the need to correctly assess the cause and eliminate it using dietary changes and supplementation is vital to a speedy return to optimal health. A simple stool test can be invaluable for assessing causes of IBS and the status of 'good' bacteria levels. Swedish Bitters can be a fantastic short term over the counter remedy that helps to increase digestive secretions, flush out unwanted guests and increase liver function. Bioceuticals Paracea is fantastic for removing parasites from the digestive tract, but must be prescribed and monitored by a practitioner as it can destroy your own bacteria levels in the long term. As an all purpose treatment, Probiotics are vital in returning levels back to normal providing the correct deficiencies have been assessed. In short, you are suffering from the symptoms of IBS, it's best to consult a qualified healthcare practitioner rather than self diagnose so you can treat the cause for the long term benefits rather than just treating the symptoms.'