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STRESS AND IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME SYMPTOMS    By: Blake Wright 

Psst!........ Please excuse my asking such a personal question but is stress literally becoming a ‘pain in the ***’ for you? With you having to rush to the restroom at the most inopportune moments? My friend, you’re not alone, in this embarrassing problem of . . .

yours! You’re probably suffering from what the doctors call irritable bowel syndrome or IBS.  The symptoms  of irritable bowel syndrome are nausea, abdominal pain, excessive gas or bloating, constipation and diarrhea. Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms can have a duration stretching from months to years!

Let us use the term "reactive bowel" than "irritable bowel". Reactive bowel suggests that the your gastrointestinal tract is a sensitive, reacting system with important immune responses to food and other antigens. If I  say "reactive bowel" you may ask "reactive to what?" We usually point to food intake as the cause.

But actually, for years, irritable bowel syndrome was attributed to "psychogenic causes". It was seen as a gastrointestinal tract dysfunction that happens because of "stress, tension, or anxiety". Emotional experiences, and eating behaviors interact in complex patterns! Anger, frustration, and fear will influence food selection, appetite, digestion, and metabolism, while food selection, digestion, and metabolism determines emotional reactivity!

 Simply  speaking, irritibale bowel syndrome or ‘nervous indigestion’ is a condition in which the large intestine fails to function normally. Usually, regular muscular contractions of the large intestine move waste from the small intestine to the rectum, where it's evacuated. But with irritable bowel syndrome present, excessive muscular contractions of the large intestine result in cramping and diarrhea, and the lack of contractions results in constipation and cramping.

 Studies have pointed to psychological disturbances as playing a role in irritable bowel sysndrome. Its been seen that people with the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome have higher levels of anxiety and depression than normal! So,  I believe its critically important for people with irritable bowel syndrome, to work on controlling stress and  short-circuit any tendency to anxiety or depression as a part of their overall program.

If you have irritable bowel syndrome, adopt two strategies: use specific stress-reducing techniques, and develop an exercise program.

 Just a half hour regular walking goes a long way not only in controlling stress but also in reducing symptoms! In effect, killing two birds with one stone as the saying goes.

In addition to walking, other aerobic exercises  can help relieve bowel contractions too. Bent-knee sit-ups, which bend the colon back and forth, encourages normal intestinal contractions and thus helps regulate the bowel.

Give up on bowel-stimulating factors  like caffeine, artificial sweeteners, particularly sorbitol, and nicotine! Even gums with artificial sweeteners and nicotine can cause trouble!

You can try out two natural substances to alleviate your trouble- peppermint oil and ginger!

Peppermint oil, has been shown to be helpful in relieving intestinal contractions as well as gas. In order for the oil to work, it must reach the colon. So,  buy it in enteric-coated capsules, which are generally available at a health food store. The coating will prevent the oil from being absorbed until it's needed in the large intestine and colon.  You  may feel a burning in the rectum when you move your bowels, after taking the capsules, don’t panic! It's just  because some of the menthol in the oil hasn't been absorbed. This is not dangerous, merely uncomfortable, and an indication that you need to reduce your capsules intake!

Ginger's ability to relieve gastrointestinal upset can be helpful in reducing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Some patients have had great results with ginger capsules while others have not, but it's certainly worth a try.

Don’t be a silent sufferer and let the stress and irritable bowel syndrome vicious cycle ruin your peace! Talk to your physician and get started immediately to break this cycl

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