Irritable bowel disease
If you are someone who has suffered from irritable bowel syndrome then you know how frustrating and discomforting this disease can be. There are a whole host of symptoms that can come with this problem, including pain in the abdomen, cramping, gas, constipation, diarrhea, and bloating. This is because irritable bowel disease affects the large colon, which is the section of the digestive tract where your stool is kept. This section of the bowel does not work properly and will cause a lot of pain and problems, so you will want to make sure that if you are having symptoms that are connected to irritable bowel disease that you go and talk to a doctor as soon as possible so that you might get some relief from the problem.
While there are treatments for irritable bowel syndrome, doctors and specialists are not clear on what causes it to occur in the first place. What they can tell is that the muscles and nerves that are located in the large colon are more sensitive in those that are affected with this problem. It appears that those who have irritable bowel disease have muscles that can contract too tightly after they eat and that this can cause problems with bloating, cramping, or diarrhea just a short time after they eat. If they have a problem with their nerves then this could mean that when the bowel stretches in a normal manner to accommodate the processing of food it could also make the nerves in that area of the digestive tract react and this could cause pain and cramping as well.
While many doctors can tell if you have irritable bowel syndrome from the symptoms that you are experiencing, but sometimes there are some more extensive tests that are needed to make sure that you have the correct diagnosis. These tests include a lower gastrointestinal (GI) series of x-rays that will make sure you are dealing with irritable bowel disease, and sometimes this is also called a barium enema x-ray. Another method of diagnosing irritable bowel disease is through a colonoscopy, which is a scope that the doctor uses to check your colon. Even if you don’t have symptoms of irritable bowel disease you will want to make sure that you get a routine colonoscopy in order to insure the health of your digestive tract.
If your doctor decides that you are suffering from irritable bowel disease then there are some things you can do to treat the problem, but you should know that as of right now there is no cure for irritable bowel syndrome, but there are things that you can do to treat it. For example, most doctors will recommend a combination of changing your diet and taking a type of medicine that will work for this kind of problem. You could have to try quite a few different approaches before you find the one that will work best for your body, but it is important that you consult your doctor on any changes to your treatment plan so that they can help to work with you to make sure that your irritable bowel disease remains under control.
In short, living with irritable bowel disease is a problem that can be adjusted so that you are able to live with it with as little problems as possible. While it may not seem like a large thing, changes in your diet can affect how your body feels and functions and can even cause problems with your irritable bowel disease, so be sure to mention any dietary changes that have occurred in your recent life to your physician.
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