Every day we face many unpleasant situations – traffic jams, a crowd in the subway, problems at work. As a result, our body is constantly under stress.
Any stress in the body is immediately reflected in eating behavior. You probably know about stressful overeating and uncontrollable sugar cravings.
The fact is that not only the brain, but also the intestine responsible for our eating behavior. Doctors call it the “second brain” for the huge number of nerve fibers, signaling substances and neural circuits that connected with the brain. If unpleasant thoughts are constantly in our head, then this affects the intestines: you can experience all sorts of discomfort, for example, bloating, pain and stool disturbances. Conversely, the stronger this discomfort, the harder it is for you to have a good mood.
There is even popular catch phrase such as “digest information”. In addition, it works both ways. If you are in love, then you have “butterflies in the stomach”, and if you are upset or scared, then unpleasant sensations in stomach appear.
Irritable bowel syndrome affects 20% of the adult population, more than half of whom are women. As a rule, we associate abdominal discomfort with temporary changes and try to get rid of all symptoms with the help of pills. There is temporary relief, but the slightest stress causes returning of all symptoms. In such cases, we used to think that the reason is a bad diet. In fact, not every stomach discomfort related to what you eat.
Irritable bowel syndrome accompanied by a whole range of symptoms such as:
- pain;
- stool disorders (diarrhea, constipation or their alternation);
- flatulence, bloating.
At the same time, this discomfort has nothing to do with inflammatory processes in the intestines – they simply do not exist. Thus, this disease is difficult to recognize and diagnose. Most often, the disease manifests itself in people aged 25 to 45 years – this is the period associated with the greatest emotional upheaval and stress.
Thus, the negative thoughts cause stress, which is the main cause of gut irritation. Moreover, if the intestines are “irritated”, then the stress becomes even stronger.
To normalize your condition, follow the next recommendations:
- adjust your diet, remove all unhealthy foods;
- stabilize your emotional state: avoid stressful situations, learn to react calmly;
- choose the medicines that can treat IBS. Medicines that treat only one symptom are not suitable for treating irritable bowel syndrome. Choose ones that reduce many symptoms at once. Pay attention to such drugs as Adcumin and Colofac.
Keep in mind that IBS can be very similar to other gastrointestinal pathologies. It is very important to see a doctor in time to make sure that you have IBS and not other diseases that are more dangerous. The main diagnostic task for suspected IBS is to exclude organic causes of symptoms.