Irritable Bowel Syndrome, more commonly known as IBS or spastic colon has become much more common in recent years. Could this be due to the condition being more easily recognised by healthcare professionals or due to the fact it receives much more publicity so that sufferers will have more opportunity to recognise the symptoms. Symptoms, which can include:
- Abdominal distress, often described as ‘spasm’ or intense pain, which can be felt in both the lower abdomen and the rectum itself. The pain can come and go and ‘bouts’ can vary in length.
- Diarrhoea or constipation, often with a variation between one extreme or the other.
- Extreme urgency or Incontinence as there is the need to open the bowels in a rush.
- Back pain, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, tiredness, poor appetite, belching and wind. Wind can be very painful if it becomes trapped and may result in flatulence and rumbling noises in the abdomen. This can also cause abdominal bloating.
- Stools can vary from bouts of diarrhoea to bouts of constipation and may also contain mucous and there is often a feeling of not fully emptying the rectum after going to the toilet
Dietary awareness and stress management are both core facts in the treatment of IBS and the doctor may also prescribe medication to ease the spasm of the gut, and relieve diarrhoea.
It can be helpful to keep a food and lifestyle diary to track back to what can exacerbate symptoms in terms of diet and activities, as this may vary from person to person. Commonly irritation can be caused by spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine, wheat and dairy products.
Some people report an improvement in symptoms when they cut down from drinking a lot of alcohol, or stop smoking if they smoke. Regular exercise may also help to ease symptoms. Stress and other emotional factors may trigger symptoms in some people.
By its nature IBS can lead you to feel ‘low’ and cause feelings of anxiety, however these feelings can also exacerbate the symptoms of IBS
Hypnosis will bring about a deep relaxation, which not only reduces overall anxiety but can also help in reducing the discomfort felt with IBS. If there are problems such as work stress, exams or lack of confidence these can be helped through hypnosis. Improvements can often be felt within as few as two to three sessions although this varies between individuals.
Within the treatments you can learn how to bring about your own level of relaxation by using self-hypnosis, a tool that you can use anywhere you may feel anxious. This in itself gives some feeling of regaining control and with further practise reduces anxiety greatly. The relationship between the mind, brain, nervous impulses, and over activity of internal organs such as the gut is intricate and a balance that can be easily upset when feeling anxious or vulnerable.
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