Irritable Bowel Syndrome

What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the large intestine (colon). Irritable bowel syndrome commonly causes cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation. IBS is a chronic condition that you will need to manage long term.

Many people worry when they are told they have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Only a small number of people with irritable bowel syndrome have severe signs and symptoms. Some people can control their symptoms by managing diet, lifestyle, and stress. Others will need medication and counseling.

The signs and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can vary widely from person to person and often resemble those of other diseases. Among the most common are:

• Abdominal pain or cramping
• A bloated feeling
• Gas
• Diarrhea or constipation — sometimes alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea
• Mucus in the stool

What causes Irritable Bowel Syndrome

A leaky gut and poor digestion are a consequence of inappropriate diet and lifestyle and resulting low-grade inflammation within the gut.  Poor digestive function means that the person cannot digest their food properly. There is a disruption of the entire rhythmic dance of digestion, which involves the mind, the stomach, the entire digestive system, the hormonal system, and many other areas of the body are very much involved in this entire process of digestion.

Another very significant aspect of IBS is that because of the leaky gut and the damage to the wall, the damage to the lining of the digestive track, there is disruption in nervous physiology within the gut. And when one considers that the gut has by far the greatest innovation of any other organ in the body, we can see the consequences of IBS on nervous system function. So, therefore, IBS will cause headaches, it will cause lowered moods, it will cause depression,  and it will cause many other things.

Triggers

Common triggers include:

• Foods. Food allergy and intolerance to certain foods can cause irritable bowel syndrome.  Some people have more severe symptoms when they eat certain things.  Some foods that are known to cause IBS are  — chocolate, spices, fats, fruits, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, milk, carbonated beverages and alcohol to name a few.
• Stress. Most people with IBS find that their signs and symptoms are worse or more frequent during periods of increased stress.  But while stress may aggravate symptoms, it doesn’t cause them.
• Hormones. Because women are twice as likely to have IBS, researchers believe that hormonal changes play a role in this condition. Many women find that signs and symptoms are worse during or around their menstrual periods.
• Other illnesses. Sometimes another illness, such as an acute episode of infectious diarrhea (gastroenteritis) or too many bacteria in the intestines (bacterial overgrowth), can trigger IBS.

The consequences of IBS on the human body

The reductionist philosophy of Western medicine blinkers the medical scientists from understanding the full extent of the consequences of IBS on the human body. One of the major consequences of IBS on the human body, especially with females, is that a very high percentage of females who have IBS, and more females will have IBS than males it’s something in the region of three or four to one. So females with IBS have a very high instance of frequent cystitis and kidney infections resulting after some time in this interstitial cystitis, which is considered to be a type of autoimmune condition affecting the bladder. Which results in pain and frequent urination.

Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Emmet Walsh, medical herbalist at Roscore Clinic treats IBS with herbal medicine. We need to first of all start with the diet. For a couple of weeks, it is very important that a person with IBS follows a very strict diet as advised.

This means

• no cold drinks
• no cold foods
• no raw foods of any kind
• everything a person eats must be warm and must be cooked.
• Avoid alcohol
• avoid all processed foods
• avoid all red meats

No gluten for one week because invariably with IBS, a gluten sensitivity disease, and gluten sensitivity disease presents with many of the same symptoms as celiac without the more severe aspects of celiac. It is a recognised in Roscore Clinic that many people over the age of 40 are developing gluten sensitivity disease because of the nature of the modern gluten, and the natural of the modern wheat.

A typical Western diet with high meat intake, high processed food intake, high energy input, will not heal the irritable bowel. At least 90% of people that follow the program and diet we recommend will recover from their IBS symptoms.

So it is important that a diet which is primarily cooked vegetarian food and this type of a diet helps to cleanse the body.

Herbs used for treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

At Roscore Clinic we use herbs to aid digestion and to clear gas. We have our very own formula which includes herbs like:

• fennel
• aniseed
• dill
• marshmallow root
• slippery elm powder

Another key herb that could be considered is Liquorice. Liquorice is a very effective anti-inflammatory herb to the entire gut and invariably there is an aspect of low-grade inflammation in the gut.

Herbs are grown and harvested from the clinic’s herb garden. Wild herbs are also gathered in the fields, hedgerows, and woods around the Roscore area. All Herbs wild crafted for use in Roscore Clinic are collected in a sustainable way. Native Irish herbs are used where possible in Roscore Clinic.  At present, Roscore Clinic can supply about 60% of its needs.

 In Roscore Clinic we grow fennel, aniseed,  dill, and we produce all these medicines ourselves. 

6 ways to manage and help yourself

If you suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or would like to know more about the condition please be sure to

Contact us here at Roscore Clinic or call us on 057 935 5844