Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Excerpts from the entry on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in Relieving Pain Naturally by Dr. Sylvia Goldfarb and Roberta W. Waddell. For full entries on all 37 conditions and 27 treatments, order the book.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), sometimes call spastic colon or mucous colitis, is a condition of abnormally increased movement of the small and large intestines, leading to pain and a change of bowel patterns, and causing excessive mucus and toxins to form in the bowels. IBS occurs most frequently in women, usually beginning between twenty to thirty-years-old. Up to 20 percent of the American population has symptoms of IBS, but very few people seek treatment. It is not a life-threatening condition, but is a frequent health-related reason for missing work. And, although it is unrelated to other problems of the digestive system, such as the inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's or ulcerative colitis), and does not cause inflammation, it is possible to have both irritable bowel syndrome and an inflammatory bowel disease at the same time.

Also in this entry:

• Symptoms
• Causes
• Diagnosing the Problem
• Conventional Treatments
• Problems with Some Conventional Treatments
• Self-Help Alternative Treatments
• Assisted Alternative Treatments
• Practical Suggestions

See below for full list of all conditions and treatments in the book. Or, download a complete Condition entry or Treatment entry for free.