A Simple Guide to Irritable Bowel Syndrome

A Simple Guide to Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional disorder of the gastrointestinal system. It is characterised by abdominal pain/cramps, bloating or gas, diarrhoea and/or constipation. It is also known as spastic colon.

Who is affected by Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
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It occurs in one in five persons and usually between the ages of 20-50.
Women outnumber men by two or three to one.
It can become a chronic condition causing much discomfort and inconvenience to the patient. However, it does not progress to cancer.

What is the Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
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The exact cause of IBS is not known.

The muscles of the walls of the intestines in the normal person contract and relax in a co-ordinated rhythm known as peristalsis. This action helps to move food along the intestines during which time absorption takes place.
The nerves and muscles in the bowel appear to be extra sensitive in people with IBS. The contractions are stronger and last longer.
Food is pushed along the intestines at a faster rate, giving rise to abdominal pain, gas and diarrhoea. Sometimes, the opposite occurs. The contractions are weaker causing the passage of food to slow down and constipation results.

Other factors that have been shown to play a part are stress, diet and hormones. These are called triggers.

1.Stress
which may be psychological or physical.
Psychological stresses such as family misunderstanding; bereavement; anxiety; meeting deadlines etc.
Physical stresses such as illnesses, infections, exhaustion etc.

2.Diet
certain foods have been known to cause the onset of symptoms. They include fried or oily food; gas-forming foods e.g.broccoli, beans, cabbage; chocolates; coffee.

3.Hormonal changes
some women experience attacks during or around their menstrual periods.

What are the Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
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The main symptoms of IBS are:
1.Abdominal pain or cramps-usually over the left side or over the lower abdomen
2.Bloating and/or gas
3.Diarrhoea, constipation or alternating diarrhoea and constipation.
4.whitish mucus in the stool

The symptoms can range from mild to severe.
In many cases the symptoms are bearable and go off after a bowel movement.
Women with IBS often have more symptoms during their menstrual periods.

How do you make the Diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
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Because the cause is unknown and there is a lack of specific physical signs, diagnosis is arrived at through a process of elimination .

A colonoscopy is usually done to rule out colon cancer, diverticulosis, polyps.

What is the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
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There is no real cure for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Treatment is mainly symptomatic i.e. it is directed towards the relief of symptoms.

Mild symptoms usually go off on their own.
If symptoms are severe, the doctor may prescribe the following:

Anti-spasmodics for the abdominal pain and cramps,
Anti-flatulents to get rid of gas and relief the bloating,
Anti-diarrhoeals to stop diarrhoea,
Antidepressants, even in lower doses than are used for treating depression, can help people with IBS.
Laxatives to relief constipation.

Foods and drinks that may cause or worsen symptoms include:

fatty foods, like french fries
milk products, like cheese or ice cream
chocolate
alcohol
caffeinated drinks, like coffee
carbonated drinks, like soda

Some foods make IBS better.

Fiber may reduce the constipation associated with IBS because it makes stool soft and easier to pass.
However, some people with IBS who have more sensitive nerves may feel a bit more abdominal discomfort after adding more fiber to their diet. Fiber is found in foods such as breads, cereals, beans, fruits, and vegetables.
Too much fiber at once can cause gas, which can trigger symptoms in a person with IBS.

Eat small meals for example eating four or five small meals a day.
Large meals can cause cramping and diarrhea in people with IBS.

Stress doesn’t cause IBS, but it can make your symptoms worse.
Learning to reduce stress can help with IBS. With less stress, you may find you have less cramping and pain. You may also find it easier to manage your symptoms.
Meditation, exercise, hypnosis, and counseling may help.

What can be done to prevent Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
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Prevention is an important part in the total management of this condition.
They consist of stress management and life-style changes.
Stress management
Avoid unnecessary stress
Learn to relax
Exercise regularly

Dietary changes
Avoid oily, spicy food
Avoid gas-forming foods e.g. cabbage, broccoli, beans
Avoid coffee, chocolates, and alcohol
Avoid large meals
Take more fibre

A Simple Guide to Gastroenteritis

A Simple Guide to Gastroenteritis
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What is Gastroenteritis?
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Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the lining of the intestines caused by a virus, bacteria or parasites resulting in leakage of fluid from the cell into the intestine(diarrhea),abdominal pain and vomiting.

What are the causes of Gastroenteritis?
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Viral Gastroenteritis:
The most common cause of Gastroenteritis is Viral.

Rota virus is the leading cause among children 3 to 15 months old and the most common cause of diarrhea in children under the age of 5 years.

Adenovirus occurs mainly in children under the age of 2 years.

Caliciviruses especially the norovirus cause infection in people of all ages.

Astrovirus also infects primarily infants, young children, and the elderly.

Bacterial Gastroenteritis:
The most common cause is the E. coli bacteria, usually mild with diarrhea, abdominal pain and occasional vomiting. It rarely cause fever.

Salmonella, Shigella ,Vibrio cholerae, are more serious bacterial infection causing diarrhea and high fever.

Parasitic Gastroenteritis:
Most common is amoebic dysentery,common in India and Africa.
Other parasitic infection are giardiasis and threadworms.

What are symptoms of Gastroenteritis?
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The main symptoms of gastroenteritis are
1. watery diarrhea
2. abdominal pain
3. vomiting
4. headache
5. fever.
6.loss of appetite and energy

Symptoms usually appear within 4 to 48 hours after exposure to the germ and last for 1 to 2 days, though symptoms can last as long as 10 days.

How is Gastroenteritis transmitted?
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Gastroenteritis can be highly contagious. The germs are commonly transmitted by people with unwashed hands.
People can get the germs through close contact with infected individuals by sharing their food, drink, or eating utensils, or by eating food or drinking beverages that are contaminated with the germs.
Noroviruses in particular, are typically spread to other people by contact with stool or vomit of infected people and through contaminated water or food—especially oysters, prawns, crabs, lobsters, cockleshells from contaminated breeding waters.

How is the diagnosis of Gastroenteritis made?
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Doctors generally diagnose gastroenteritis based on the symptoms and a physical examination. Your doctor may ask for a stool sample to test for rotavirus or to rule out bacteria or parasites as the cause of your symptoms.

How is Gastroenteritis treated?
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Most cases of viral gastroenteritis resolve without specific treatment.
Antibiotics are not effective against viral infections.

The primary goal of treatment is to reduce the symptoms which may include an antispasmodic drug to stop abdominal cramps, medicine to harden the stools such as kaolin and slow down the intestinal movement (lomotil or loperamide).

Prompt treatment may be needed to prevent dehydration which is the loss of fluids from the body. Important salts or minerals, known as electrolytes, can also be lost with the fluids. Dehydration can be caused by diarrhea, vomiting, excessive urination, excessive sweating, or by not drinking enough fluids because of nausea, difficulty swallowing, or loss of appetite.

The symptoms of dehydration are
excessive thirst
dry mouth
little or no urine or dark yellow urine
sunken eyes
severe weakness or lethargy
dizziness or lightheadedness

Mild dehydration can be treated by drinking liquids.
Severe dehydration may require intravenous fluids and hospitalization.
Untreated severe dehydration can be life threatening especially in babies, young children and the elderly.

The following steps may help relieve the symptoms of gastroenteritis.
1.Allow your gastrointestinal tract to settle by not eating for a few hours.
2.Sip small amounts of clear liquids or suck on ice chips if vomiting is still a problem.
3.Give infants and children oral rehydration solutions to replace fluids and lost electrolytes. 4.Gradually reintroduce food, starting with bland, easy-to-digest food, like porridge or soups.
5.Avoid dairy products, caffeine, and alcohol until recovery is complete.
6.Get plenty of rest.

How is Gastroenteritis prevented?
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You can avoid infection by:
1.washing your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds after using the bathroom or changing diapers
2.washing your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds before eating
3.disinfecting contaminated surfaces such as counter tops and baby changing stations
4.Avoid eating or drinking foods or liquids that might be contaminated