The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can vary from one person to another and are often dismissed as poor eating disorders.
In fact, it appears more frequently in those who eat in a disordered and incorrect way, but food is not the main cause of this syndrome, which appears to be, today, one of the most frequent intestinal diseases.
The symptomatology is made in three
Basically it presents with three different types of disorders:
- bloating and abdominal pain often accompanied by meteorism, or cramps;
- alteration of the frequency of evacuation and consistency of feces;
- non-intestinal symptoms, such as nausea, heartburn, discomfort or pain in the head, tiredness.
There are those who find themselves having to go to the bathroom continuously, with loose stools or real diarrhea and those who, on the contrary, suffer from abdominal cramps and constipation: the stools are harder than usual and defecation difficult.
Light or whitish mucus is often present in the stool.
Someone, then, experiences periods of diarrhea alternating with periods of constipation. It is almost always associated with non-intestinal symptoms, such as nausea, headache and unusual fatigue.
It can also happen that the symptoms disappear or subside for a few months.
The secret is frequency
With such non-specific disorders, how do you know if we are in the presence of irritable bowel? Experts advise us to pay attention to their frequency.
If you have to run to the bathroom more than three times a day or, on the contrary, you can evacuate no more than three times a week and these events continue for a period of at least 12 weeks (even non-consecutive) during the year it is very likely that you suffer from irritable bowel
Factors that worsen disorders
The symptomatology can then be exacerbated in some situations including:
- after large meals;
- intake of certain foods or beverages, such as wheat, barley, rye, chocolate, milk and dairy products, alcohol, caffeinated beverages;
- accumulation of gas in the colon;
- taking certain medications;
- periods of stress.
As for nutrition, there are also other foods to pay attention to.
| Vegetables | Cabbage, artichokes, onions, arugula, cucumbers, potatoes |
| Fruit | Peaches, pears, plums, grapes |
| Other | Legumes, canned meat, preserved meats, sweeteners |
In women, symptoms are more severe during the menstrual cycle, so it seems that sex hormones play a role in worsening irritable bowel disorders.
Finally, those who suffer from irritable bowel are often anxious or depressed; We know that anxiety and depression can make the symptoms worse, but the opposite could also happen, that is, the disease can induce depression and anxiety.
Be careful if…
On the other hand, situations such as:
- onset of disorders after the age of 50;
- acute symptoms that appear suddenly;
- anorexia or weight loss;
- fever;
- diarrhea without painful symptoms;
- fat in the feces;
- blood in the feces;
- lactose and gluten intolerance.
In these cases, the doctor will prescribe specific tests to evaluate the presence of other bowel diseases.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
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