Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes And Treatment
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic disorder associated with suffering from prolonged psychological stress which causes abdominal pain and also causes changes in intestinal regulation.
What IBS is will be explained in more detail below, and then we will see what is known about its causes, ending with the provision of information about its treatment and some guidelines that can be included in people’s daily routine in order to alleviate your symptoms.
Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder affecting the functioning of the intestinal tract which is why it is considered a disorder of the gastrointestinal system and, as such, it is known that it is related to both physical and psychological factors associated with the stress that the person suffers for a long time.
When the researcher Hans Selye carried out his research on stress, developing what is known as the Theory of Stress, he discovered that the sympathetic nervous system innervates the stomach, and that is why, as a result of this discovery, today it is known that the activation of the SNS causes impact on this organ.
This relationship between IBS and stress is demonstrated because the brain is interconnected with the gut through nervous and hormonal signals Therefore, these signals affect the functioning of the intestine.
Thus, when the person is suffering from prolonged stress over time, those nervous signals that the brain transmits to the stomach tend to be more active and intense, and this can cause the intestines to weaken, so that the person has an upset stomach and intestinal rhythms become imbalanced, so you may suffer from diarrhea or constipation.
Causes
The causes of irritable bowel syndrome are unknown, but what is proven is that has a strong relationship with stress since according to some research between 50 and 85% of patients diagnosed with IBS were suffering high levels of stress and it has also been found in another study that these patients usually present high levels of depression, neuroticism, anxiety and hypochondria .
The way in which IBS is explored and diagnosed is through the observation of the most common symptoms, which we will see later, and also through a medical examination in which the state of your physical health is explored, in addition to carrying out tests. A blood test.
Irritable bowel syndrome develops chronically , but it is not present in the patient’s life constantly, but rather emerges in the form of intermittent outbreaks; In other words, its symptoms disappear completely, or to a large extent, at certain times and, at other times when the patient suffers a lot of stress or is not leading a healthy lifestyle, they may reappear. Also, when the patient takes care of his habits, he can keep the IBS symptoms at bay, so they do not cause as much discomfort.
There are also studies that have found that, when the symptoms have subsided or are under control, this syndrome could be triggered again by various factors related to lifestyle habits, such as, for example, alcohol consumption, caffeine consumption, stress, and ingestion. certain foods such as chocolate, soft drinks, pastries, as well as any ultra-processed food that is rich in sugars and saturated fats.
Symptoms
Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are the following:
These symptoms usually appear in situations in which the patient experiences greater tension and overload that it normally suffers from.
It is also worth noting that patients with IBS, in general, tend to show greater concern about their health and evaluate their physical and psychological state more negatively than other patients. Hence, symptoms of hypochondria are very common.
It has even been identified that these patients have a very distinctive pattern of behavior known among health professionals as “learned behavior of chronic illness” and this is characterized by an excessive concern about the problems of your illness and, consequently, they go to medical consultations very frequently.
Epidemiology of this syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome It is the most common disorder among those that affect the proper functioning of the digestive system since its diagnosis ranges between 30 and 70% of patients who go to the outpatient clinic of doctors specializing in the digestive system and approximately 25% of those who go to consult with their family doctor for digestive problems or , which is the same, 1 in every 4 people.
Within the general population it has been estimated that between 10 and 25% could have symptoms compatible with irritable bowel syndrome, and among them, well less than half (25-40%) seek professional help.
According to epidemiological data from studies related to irritable bowel syndrome, it is a health problem that It can be up to two or even three times more common in women than in men
Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
According to the medical literature specialized in irritable bowel syndrome, there is currently no treatment that can completely suppress the symptoms permanently or for a prolonged period of time.
Because this disease cannot be completely eradicated, The main objective of treatment is to improve the subject’s functionality so that they can lead an active and as satisfying life as possible and, given the high frequency with which these patients present symptoms of depression and anxiety, psychological treatment is of great importance.
The treatment that should be used most to address all the symptoms of these patients is multidisciplinary, combining medical supervision with the prescription of drugs to alleviate symptoms and psychotherapy
Although it is true that there are specialized studies that found evidence of greater effectiveness in treating IBS in psychological treatment than in medical treatment and, more specifically, it is multicomponent cognitive therapy that has been able to demonstrate the most empirical validity (Pérez et al. , 2006). However, more research is still needed on psychological treatments for IBS.
On the other hand, psychological treatment is more expensive, and that is why today its widespread use in patients with IBS is difficult. For this reason, the most used treatment is medical, with outpatient consultations and prescription of drugs.
1. Medical treatment
medical treatment addresses motor and sensory alterations in the physiology of the intestine, as well as possible intolerance to certain food groups (e.g. lactose, gluten, etc.).
However, there is no clear evidence that there is a single primary abnormality in the digestive system in cases of IBS, but rather it could be a systemic disease that affects several structures in the body.
Regarding the pharmacology used to alleviate some symptoms, there is prescription of antispasmodics In order to relieve the pain they suffer, in some cases it is combined with antidepressants; since these have anticholinergic effects that help in cases where the pain is more severe. There is research that assures that the most useful thing would be the combination of the use of drugs with psychological therapy.
Below we will briefly review some of the psychological techniques used to address IBS.
2. Muscle relaxation
The objective of this technique is to relax the different muscle groups separately in order for the patient to enter a state of relaxation as a measure to alleviate or prevent the stress symptoms that cause worsening of IBS symptoms.
The components of this technique are the following:
It has been shown that, The more contracted the muscle is while the subject is concentrated on the sensations that this action produces, the greater the state of relaxation will be able to achieve.
Biofeedback is a technique usually used in combination with relaxation techniques, and what is intended to be achieved by training both techniques is that the patient learns to voluntarily control some physiological states of his body seeking to generate a state of relaxation.
And this is thanks to the fact that with biofeedback techniques you can learn to be aware of the changes that are occurring in the state of your body.
The biofeedback most used to control stress through general relaxation of the patient are:
Electromyography: used to measure the muscle tension experienced.
Temperature: used to detect temperature as an indicator of blood flow.
Electrodermal: used to detect changes in the action of sweat glands.
Breathing: it is used to check the rhythm and location of breathing.
4. Meditation
The most used technique for relaxation is Mindfulness, with the aim of teaching the patient to focus their attention on the present moment and not reinforce anxiety without issuing any personal assessment of what he feels or perceives around him at that moment.
This technique is based on a perspective that understands that thoughts cannot be controlled and that, when people make an effort to try to control them, the only thing they achieve is that those thoughts that generate discomfort are taken with greater importance than they deserve and this generates even more stress than what they were suffering in the first place.
In short, through Mindfulness It is intended to eradicate efforts to control internal events (negative thoughts and emotions) that people who suffer from stress and discomfort try to carry out. As may be the case with people with irritable bowel syndrome.
Life habits that improve the course of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
There are habits that the patient can incorporate into their daily routine in order to lead a healthier life that could help you keep IBS under control , relieving your symptoms. These habits are the following:
Sleep a sufficient number of hours at night and maintain a stable sleep schedule so that your biorhythms do not become unbalanced.
Stay physically active, being able to do light physical exercise (for example, walking at least 30 minutes a day).
Eat foods rich in fiber (e.g., oats, lentils, vegetables, and fruits).
