The Treatment of Modern Western - Biblio.nhat-nam.ru

43IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROMEIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a.k.a. spastic colon ormucus colitis, is a motility disorder involving the small intestineand large bowel associated with variable degrees ofabdominal pain, constipation, or diarrhea, largely as a reactionto stress in susceptible individuals. The abdominal paintends to be triggered by eating and may be relieved after abowel movement. It may be accompanied by other gastrointestinalcomplaints, such as bloating, flatulence, nausea, passageof mucus, a feeling of incomplete emptying, or pain inthe anus and rectum. Irritable bowel syndrome also has arange of symptoms that are not digestive in nature. Amongthese are headache, fatigue, lassitude, depression, anxiety,and poor concentration. Luckily, any given person with IBSwill not experience all these symptoms. Most people tend toexperience a few of them, usually pretty much the sameones, periodically.Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the purely functional gastrointestinaldisorders. Although this disorder has alwaysexisted, it was not recognized by Western medicine untilabout 50 years ago and has only become a common diagnosisin the last 20 years. By definition in Western medical theory,a functional disorder is one where there is no knownstructural (meaning anatomical), biochemical, or infectiouscause. When such a disorder presents as a group of symptomswhich tend to occur together, it is called a “syndrome.”The symptoms of IBS are similar to those of other commondiseases, some of which can be quite serious. Conditions thatmay be confused with IBS include lactose intolerance, bacterialor parasitic infection, and colon or ovarian cancers, toname just a few. For this reason, depending on the severity ofa person’s symptoms, their age, and their general health, testingmay be required to rule out other possible conditionsbefore a diagnosis of IBS is reached.It is estimated that 10-20% of all American adults experiencesymptoms of IBS. Even though only half of these visit a doctor,patients with IBS account for one-half of all GI referralsor initial visits for GI complaints. Irritable bowel syndromeaffects three times as many women as men, and, after thecommon cold, is the next most common cause of missedschool and work. 1 The symptoms of IBS are caused byabnormal motility (or movement) and increased pain sensitivityof the gut. Motor function may be lower than normal,causing diarrhea. Increased frequency and strength of contractionsin the colon cause constipation. Pain is caused bothby increased contractions or spasms and by heightened sensitivityof the nerves in the intestinal tract. People with IBSmay experience pain even from normal contractions andnormal amounts of intestinal gas.Both initial and subsequent episodes of IBS can be triggeredby emotional factors, foods, some medicines, and hormones.Many people with IBS have a history of either parasitic infectionsor early trauma, including physical or sexual abuse.No one knows why some people develop heightened sensitivityof the GI tract, at least in terms of Western medicine,but researchers are working on the theory that there aredirect links between the GI tract and the central nervous system.Such a brain-gut connection would explain why emotionalupsets affect the intestines and why intestinal symptomsaffect mood. In addition, in an effort to more completelyunderstand irritability of the bowel, researchers aredeveloping more sophisticated and sensitive techniques tomeasure physiological activity in the gastrointestinal tract.Western MDs usually treat IBS using a combination of dietand lifestyle changes coupled with a prescription for one ormore Western pharmaceuticals which are used as needed totreat the symptoms of constipation, diarrhea, pain, andmental-emotional discomfort. For constipation, a fiber supplement,such as bran or psyllium seeds, is recommended toincrease the diameter of the colon and reduce the pressure