***KnEeKo’S aRt ExPeDiTiOn***

Kaninang umaga, sumisid ako papunta sa bahay ng sirena upang sumilip dahil wanted daw ako doon. Habang binabasa ko ang latest post niya di ko mapigilang tumawa. Akala ko totoong senti ‘yun pala ay naging singing mermaid. Habang ako’y napapangiti, biglang sumakit na naman tiyan ko. Dahil kaya sa kape ni master na tinimpla kaninang umaga o sa sirenang nakain ko kahapon. Binisita ko ulit ang paborito kong trono…

“Hmmmmp, hmmmp, plok, plok, splassh, haaayyyy…
Spllaasshhhhburrrp…

Pagkaraan ng sampung minuto… Bumalik na ako sa opisina, isang email galing sa aming company doctor (Internist & Endocrinologist) ang aking nasilayan.

Saglit po nating pagtuunan ng pansin at idilat ang mga mata upang basahin ng taimtim ang mga nakasaad sa pahina isa hanggang tatlo.

What I need to know about Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?

What is IBS?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - is a problem that affects mainly the bowel, * which is also called the large intestine. The bowel is the part of the digestive system that makes and stores stool. The word syndrome means a group of symptoms. IBS is a syndrome because it can cause several symptoms. For example, IBS causes cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation.
IBS is not a disease. It’s a functional disorder, which means that the bowel doesn’t work, as it should.
With IBS, the nerves and muscles in the bowel are extra-sensitive. For example, the muscles may contract too much when you eat. These contractions can cause cramping and diarrhea during or shortly after a meal. Or the nerves can be overly sensitive to the stretching of the bowel (because of gas, for example). Cramping or pain can result.
IBS can be painful. But it does not damage the bowel or cause any other diseases.

Does stress cause IBS?

Emotional stress will not cause a person to develop IBS. But if you already have IBS, stress can trigger symptoms. In fact, the bowel can overreact to all sorts of things, including food, exercise, and hormones.
Foods that tend to cause symptoms include milk products, chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks, and fatty foods. In some cases, simply eating a large meal will trigger symptoms.
Women with IBS often have more symptoms during their menstrual periods.

What are the symptoms of IBS?

The main symptoms of IBS are:

?Crampy pain in the stomach area (abdomen)
?Painful diarrhea or constipation

Most people have either diarrhea or constipation, but some people have both.

Other symptoms are:

?Mucous in the stool
?Swollen or bloated abdomen
?The feeling that you have not finished a bowel movement

How is IBS diagnosed?

The doctor will suspect that you have IBS because of your symptoms. But the doctor may do medical tests to make sure you don’t have any other diseases that could cause the symptoms.

Medical Tests for IBS

?Physical exam
?Blood tests
?X ray of the bowel: This x-ray test is called a barium enema or lower GI (gastrointestinal) series. Barium is a thick liquid that makes the bowel show up better on the X ray. Before taking the X ray, the doctor will put barium into your bowel through the anus.
?Endoscopy: The doctor inserts a thin tube into your bowel. The tube has a camera in it, so the doctor can look at the inside of the bowel to check for problems.What is the treatment?

IBS has no cure, but you can do things to relieve symptoms. Treatment may involve

?Diet changes
?Medicine
?Stress relief

You may have to try a combination of things to see which works best for you.

Diet Changes

Some foods make IBS worse.

Here are some foods that may cause symptoms:

?Fatty foods like French fries
?Milk products like cheese or ice cream
?Chocolate
?Alcohol
?Caffeine (found in coffee and some sodas)
?Carbonated drinks like soda

If certain foods cause symptoms, you should eat less of them or stop eating them.
To find out which foods is a problem, write down this information:

?What you eat during the day
?What symptoms you have
?When symptoms occur
?What foods always make you feel bad

Take your notes to the doctor to see if you should stop eating certain foods.

Some foods make IBS better.

Fiber reduces IBS symptoms?especially constipation?because it makes stool soft, bulky, and easier to pass. Fiber is found in bran, bread, cereal, beans, fruit, and vegetables.
Here are some examples of foods with fiber:

Fruits (Apples, Peaches)
Vegetables (Broccoli, raw Cabbage, Carrots, raw Peas)
Breads, cereals, and beans (Kidney beans, Lima beans, Whole-grain bread, Whole-grain cereal)

Add foods with fiber to your diet a little at a time to let your body get used to them. Too much fiber all at once might cause gas, which can trigger symptoms in a person with IBS.
Besides telling you to eat more foods with fiber, the doctor might also tell you to get more fiber by taking a fiber pill or drinking water mixed with a special high-fiber powder.

How much you eat matters, too.

Large meals can cause cramping and diarrhea in people with IBS. If this happens to you, try eating four or five small meals a day. Or, have your usual three meals, but eat less at each meal.

Medicine

If necessary, the doctor might give you medicine to help with symptoms:

?Laxatives: to treat constipation
?Antispasmodics: to slow contractions in the bowel, which helps with diarrhea and pain
?Antidepressants: to help those who have severe pain

You must follow your doctor’s instructions when you use these medicines. Otherwise, you could become dependent on them.

Stress Relief

Does stress trigger your symptoms? Learning to reduce stress can help. With less stress, you may find that you have less cramping and pain. Also, you may find it easier to manage your symptoms.
Meditation, exercise, and counseling are some things that might help. You may need to try different activities to see what works best for you.

Points to Remember

?IBS is a functional disorder in which the bowel doesn’t work, as it should.
?IBS can cause cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation.
?IBS doesn’t damage the bowel.
?The doctor will diagnose IBS based on your symptoms. You might have some medical tests to rule out other diseases.
?Stress doesn’t cause IBS, but it can trigger symptoms.
?Fatty foods, milk products, chocolate, caffeine, carbonated drinks, and alcohol can trigger symptoms.
?Eating foods with fiber and eating smaller meals can reduce symptoms.
?Treatment for IBS may include medicine, stress relief, or changes in eating habits.

The 10 Commandments of Eating for IBS

1.ALWAYS eat soluble fiber first, eat soluble fiber whenever your stomach is empty, and make soluble fiber foods the largest component of every meal and snack.
2.Minimize your fat intake to 25% of your diet, max. Focus on heart-healthy monounsaturated oils. Read labels and at restaurants, ask.
3.Never eat high fat foods, even in small portions, on an empty stomach or without soluble fiber. Better still, don?t eat them at all.
4.Eliminate all triggers - red meat, dairy, fried foods, egg yolks, coffee, soda pop, and alcohol - from your diet.
5.Never, never, never eat insoluble fiber on an empty stomach, in large quantities at one sitting, or without soluble fiber. Cook, chop, or puree insoluble fiber foods to make them safer.
6.Eat small portions frequently, calmly, and leisurely.
7.If you?re unsure about something, DON?T EAT IT. It?s not worth the risk.
8.Food is fun and eating should be pleasurable. Take the time and make the effort to eat safely, and then enjoy yourself.
9.Remember that you have absolute and total control over your diet. No one can force you to eat something you know you shouldn?t.
10.Practice creative substitution, not deprivation. Use soy or rice replacements for dairy, two egg whites to replace a whole egg, try low-fat vegetarian versions of meat products or use skinless chicken breasts and seafood, replace some oil with fruit purees in breads or cakes, use veggie broth instead of oil in sauces, bake with cocoa powder (it?s fat free) instead of solid chocolate. Use herbs, baking extracts (vanilla, peppermint, maple, etc.) and mild spices generously to heighten flavors.

***Sumakit din kaya ang tiyan ng doktor at naisipan niyang ipadala eto sa amin? Baka naman sirena din ang ulam niya kahapon.

Kaya kayo iwasan ninyong kumain ng sirena huh. hehehe… Kung walang buntot na sirena ‘yun ang pwedeng-pwedeng kainin. Tanghalian na naman, ano kaya ulam sa cafeteria?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 5th, 2006 at 4:47 pm and is filed under ThIs Is Me, hEaLtH. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.