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Irritable Bowel
Syndrome, (IBS), is a puzzling digestive disorder
in that there are no physical signs of disease
in the bowel tissue. This makes it difficult to
determine the causes of the disease even though
the symptoms are many & varied. They include
alternating constipation/diarrhea, nausea, flatulence,
bloating & intolerance to certain foods.
People with IBS often have difficulty
eating because digestion evokes adverse reactions
such as nausea, vomiting, headaches & pain.
This in itself can result in malnutrition. Further
complicating matters is the fact that nutrients
are not properly absorbed & those that are
can quickly be depleted by diarrhea.
Some scientists
believe that a virus or bacterium may play a role
in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Others feel that
a stressful lifestyle contributes to the condition
as well as the overuse of antibiotics or laxatives.
This may explain why IBS is the most common digestive
disorder seen by physicians with one out of every
five adults having symtoms. |
