IBS can affect either gender and begin at any age, although it occurs more frequently in women and often presents during the teenage years or young adulthood. It’s characterized by chronic (long-lasting) complaints such as:
- Crampy abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Gassiness
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
For some people, these complaints can interfere with daily life. In fact, the inability to control these symptoms may make it difficult to go to work, attend social events, and even travel shortdistances.
If you have been suffering from abdominal discomforts that affect your quality of life, please schedule an appointment. Other more serious conditions need to be ruled out. If no other disease is apparent, a diagnosis of IBS may be based on specific symptoms, such as:
- How often your abdominal cramps have occurred
- When the symptoms start and stop in relation to bowel habits
- How the frequency or consistency of bowel movements has been altered
IBS is not considered a disease, but a functional disorder, and the exact cause is currently unknown. Therefore, ruling out disease and taking an individual medical history is the only method of diagnoses.
Although the exact cause of IBS has not been determined, research suggests it may be associated with an imbalance of intestinal bacteria. Therefore, a proper intervention should include nutritional support to promote the growth of "good" intestinal bacteria and help eliminate some of the "bad" bacteria. This can be accomplished with specialized probiotic nutrition.
Clinically Tested Probiotic Nutrition for IBS
In a recent clinical study, patients with IBS who were given specific types of probiotics—known as Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM ® and Bifidobacterium lactis B1-07—reported significant improvements in symptoms. In fact, patients noted a 51% reduction in IBS symptoms and 33% improvement in quality of life after only 4 weeks of supplementation!
Living Well Again
If you are suffering from abdominal complaints, don't let them cramp your lifestyle. Stop by my office so we can discuss an individualized nutritional intervention that includes clinically tested probiotic nutrition—to help you feel good again.
