What Are the Causes and Treatments of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and What Foods Are Good?

What Are the Causes and

Treatments of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and What Foods Are Good?

There are cases where people frequently complain of abdominal pain, with a stabbing, cramping sensation in the stomach regardless of time, and also go to the bathroom often, but when they visit the hospital, no particular problems are found.

In such cases, irritable bowel syndrome may be suspected. It is a condition in which digestive symptoms that mainly cause pain and discomfort recur, leading to bowel movement problems.

Today, I will explain in detail the causes, symptoms, diagnostic methods, treatment methods, foods that are good for preventing the condition, and how to help prevent it.

It is a condition that affects 10–15% of the global population. Although the exact cause has not been identified, it is most common in people in their 20s and 30s, and it occurs more often in women.

It is mainly caused by changes in digestive tract motility, visceral hypersensitivity caused by certain foods, changes in the gut microbiota due to infections, and extreme stress.

In particular, extreme stress acquired while going through daily life is a factor that disrupts the balance of the autonomic nervous system, reducing the function of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves that regulate the digestive organs.

A common symptom of irritable bowel syndrome is abdominal pain. The pain is not so severe that it wakes you from sleep, but it has the characteristic of continuing for months.

In addition, bowel habits change from what they were before, interfering with daily life, and various symptoms accompany it.

Depending on the type of symptoms, it can be classified as diarrhea-predominant, pain-predominant, constipation-predominant, gas-predominant, and so on. If the symptoms persist for a long time, some patients may also develop hypochondriacal tendencies.

One reason irritable bowel syndrome is difficult to treat is that, unlike other intestinal diseases, it is difficult to clearly identify the cause of onset.

Even when endoscopy is performed, it is difficult to find anything unusual, and the symptoms may seem to improve but then recur.

Therefore, treatment should be carried out appropriately after clearly identifying the symptoms shown by each patient. If symptom control is not smooth, medication is used for treatment.

Above all, it is important for patients to understand their own physical condition and avoid factors such as foods that strongly irritate the colon.

If you have been under severe stress, it is better to relieve it through your own stress-management methods.

It is also important to get proper rest and exercise, and simply walking can be a good alternative because it helps stimulate intestinal movement.

Because symptoms can worsen immediately after eating irritating foods that do not suit you, it is better to avoid things that trigger symptoms, such as coffee, high-fat foods, and cigarettes.

On the other hand, foods containing large amounts of probiotics, bananas, tomatoes, oranges, and lactose-free milk are good foods for improving abdominal pain and diarrhea.

If, in addition to the typical symptoms of the condition, you experience abdominal pain severe enough to make it hard to fall asleep or significant weight loss, please suspect another disease.