Children And IBS – A Guide for Parents

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects adults and children alike; the exact percentages for children in North America show that 6% of middle schoolers have IBS and 14% of high school student; those numbers are likely to rise over the coming years.

IBS manifests itself as an overreaction of nerves in the gastrointestinal tract, causing children to experience constipation or diarrhea, usually accompanied by abdominal pains. Physicians will only begin to diagnose whether a child has this group of symptoms if they have had been constipated or had diarrhea at a minimum of once a week over a two month period. Other symptoms may include any of the following:  rectal pain, nausea, gas, bloating, cramping in the lower stomach, and appetite loss.

At that point, your child’s physician will want to determine whether the symptoms are stemming from a gastrointestinal disease such as Crohn’s Disease or Colitis. Note that IBS itself is not a disease. To make a definitive diagnosis for IBS, they will request the following: stool samples to determine if there is blood in the stool; an ultrasound to get a better picture of your child’s intestines to determine if their bowel movements are regular; colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy to see the intestinal lining and determine if there is damage.

Causes of IBS Children

The frequency of bowel movements in children can range from anything from multiple bowel movements per day for younger kids, but typically older children have at least one bowel movement per day. There are many causes for children who suffer from IBS including bacterial gastroenteritis which occurs when you have a bacterial infection in your stomach or intestines, problems contracting gastrointestinal muscles typically emanating from a lack of nerve communication between a child’s gut and brain, genetics, and anxiety.

Treatments for IBS in Children

There are many treatments for IBS, and growing sets of alternatives treatments available; these are common treatments to help you in assisting to treat your child’s symptoms.

• Increasing Fiber Intake – you will need to evaluate early on if your child is getting enough fiber in his or her diet, including whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables. One quick way to calculate the number of grams of fiber your child should be getting each day is to take your child’s age and add 5.
• Avoid Certain Foods – you will want to carefully monitor your child’s diet to be sure that fast foods which are typically high in fat are avoided, as well as caffeine. Other foods to avoid are foods that cause gas and bloating such as beans and cabbage. Finally, you make wish to monitor whether your child has an adverse reaction to dairy which can be a common problem.
• Probiotics – you are advised to be in touch with your child’s physicians about introducing probiotics which have live bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract which may positively affect IBS symptoms.
• Peppermint Oil is considered to be an effective approach to treating IBS.
• Medications may be prescribed by your child’s physician for diarrhea, depression, or to soften the stool.
• Talking openly about IBS within your child’s family and with his/her physicians has been shown to be very important so that embarrassment does not result around what could be considered a very sensitive subject.

Natural Supplements: Can They Help Your IBS?

IBS is an acronym that stands for irritable bowel syndrome. It is a disorder in the large intestine and symptoms include diarrhea, constipation or a mix of both, along with gas, bloating and stomach pain. IBS doesn’t cause any lasting harm to your intestines, unlike other large intestine and colon disorders like Crohn’s disease or Celiac. IBS is extremely common, yet is undiagnosed in a large amount of the population. It is most common in young women between the ages of 18 and 45. Managing your IBS symptoms could be difficult, but possible. You should examine all aspects of your life including your diet, possible stressors, and consider adding a medication.

What Should You Eat To Avoid Flare-Ups?

IBS symptoms can worsen after eating certain foods: this is called a flare-up, which can last for a few hours to a few months. While symptoms may vary depending on the type of IBS you have, your diet can be a consistent tool with which you can help regulate your bowel.

If your symptoms include loose stool with mucus, you can eat a high-fiber diet to help ease your symptoms. High fiber foods include:

• whole grains
• root vegetables like potatoes
• legumes
• seeds
• beans
• lentils
• chia seeds

If your symptoms include constipation and gas, that might mean you want to eat a low-fiber diet. Low-fiber diets add more soluble fiber to your diet. Soluble fibers are kinds of food that dissolve and mix easily with water and turns into a kind of soft gel.Low-fiber foods include:

• oatmeal
• most vegetables
• fruits

Peppermint Oil: Easy On Your Stomach

Besides medications, consider adding a supplement to help manage your IBS symptoms. Studies have found that peppermint oil has many health benefits that may relieve some symptoms of IBS.

Peppermint oil is an essential oil and it has been used for medicinal purposes for a long time – it is actually recorded as one of the oldest herbs used for healing the body. It is a natural oil derived by steaming the top leaves of the peppermint plant, and has been shown to act as an antibacterial, ease pain, and even decrease fungus growth. Peppermint contains high quantities of menthol, which is shown to help with infections, skin diseases, and intestinal issues. Taking peppermint oil has shown to relieve indigestion, nausea, diarrhea and constipation.

Administering Essential Oils

Unlike some supplements that can be swallowed, peppermint essential oil cannot be taken orally. Instead, you can pour some oil into a diffuser, use it as a massage oil, or simply inhale it. If you are using it for a skin cream, remember to mix other oils into it so the menthol will not overpower and harm your skin. Heartburn is a common side effect of ingesting peppermint oil.

Luckily, there are supplements on the market that help relieve IBS symptoms that contain peppermint oil as well. Those are safe to swallow and research have shown the peppermint greatly benefits someone suffering from IBS.

Get Rid Of Constipation: Tips To Help Overcome IBS-C Or CIC

IBS stands for irritable bowel syndrome and is a disorder of your large intestine. Symptoms of IBS include constipation, diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and gas. IBS-C is a type of IBS that includes constipation as the main symptom. It is extremely common; 20% of adults in the U.S. are diagnosed with IBS-C, and most of these adults are women under the age of 45. CIC is an acronym for chronic idiopathic constipation. CIC affects 35 million Americans and has similar symptoms to IBS-C, including gas and constipation.

Unlike someone who occasionally has bowel trouble, both of these disorders must have consistent symptoms for 3 to 6 months. If you are experiencing these unpleasant symptoms, you can go to your doctor and get a few tests to see if you have IBS-C or CIC.

4 Ways To Treat These Symptoms

There are five ways to effectively treat bowel disorders like IBS-C or CIC. However, depending on how severe the symptoms, a small lifestyle change can completely improve your quality of life. To decrease these unpleasant symptoms, you must examine:

• your diet
• your exercise routine
• your supplement intake
• medications.you may need

Nutrition

IBS-C and CIC can worsen depending on what you are eating. If you have a high-fiber diet, it tends to harden your stools and soak up any water you have in your digestive tract. Eating a low-fiber diet can help ease your discomfort. Some foods in this category include lean meats, fish, legumes, berries and whole grains.

You must also remember to stay hydrated. Especially with CIC, your digestive system uses up water quickly and it constantly needs replenishing. Drinking enough water helps normalize your system, decrease the amount of gas in your intestines, and help to pass your stools.

Exercise

Exercise is important for every system in your body, from your neurological functions to your bowel movements. Exercising stimulates your blood flow and activates your digestive system, helping it move faster. Try adding a brisk 20-minute walk to your daily routine and you’ll benefit from these changes almost immediately.

Medications

Sometimes staying hydrated, eating healthy, and regularly exercising just aren’t enough. Ask your doctor if he or she thinks medication will help you regulate your bowel movements.

Supplements

Dietary supplements are very helpful when trying to return your digestive system back to normal. Look for a supplement that works as an anti-inflammatory and also contains soothing ingredients. Look for supplements that contain Psyllium, (fiber)  turmeric and ginger root.

The Strong Connection Between Stress And IBS

Ever get butterflies in your stomach when you’re nervous? Feel the need to pee before a big speech or performance? These are well-known symptoms that show a link between your gut feeling and your mental state. Researchers have found a link between worsening IBS symptoms and an increase of the amount of anxiety or stress in a person’s life.

A disorder in the large intestine, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is not uncommon, especially in women aged 45 and under. Symptoms for IBS include cramping, constipation and/or diarrhea, and general abdominal discomfort. However, stress can stimulate your digestive system, leading to uncomfortable bowel movements. The feeling of butterflies in your stomach or cramping you may feel when you’re nervous is your brain telling your gut to work – even if it’s overworking. Other times, a stress response causes your brain signals to be unresponsive, resulting in your stomach to digest slowly. This leads to side effects like cramps, constipation and gas.

Stress and anxiety are under the category of mental disorders; there are at least 40% – 60%  of people diagnosed these disorders who also have IBS. Constipation and/or diarrhea worsen when stressful situations occur in someone’s life, like a breakup, a major life change, or a trauma. This occurs because stress affects your biological functions, such as reducing blood flow especially in the intestines, and inflaming your immune system. With an increase of stress, these symptoms become more severe, triggering a possible flare-up of IBS.

The Unending Cycle: Suffering From IBS Leads to Stress

Without the added symptom of anxiety, suffering from IBS is tough. Especially when it is untreated, IBS disrupts your life, causes you pain, ruins your appetite and decreases your overall quality of life. The problems of IBS can even cause your body to go into a stress response. When you go into a stress response, hormones are released into your system. One hormone in particular, called CRF, maintains the activity in your stomach, but if it is overstimulated, it can worsen inflammatory symptoms. These hormones also cause an imbalance of intestinal bacteria, leading to IBS symptoms like abdominal pain and cramping, or even triggering the body to develop IBS if it didn’t have it yet.

Treatment

Treatment for IBS takes time because your doctor needs to pin down your symptoms and try out many different medications and diets. After taking your medical history and a stool or blood sample, your doctor can prescribe you with medication according to your needs. Your doctor will also talk to you about changes in your diet and perhaps adding a supplement to your daily routine.

To manage your stress and anxiety, you need to find ways to limit your stress by finding situations that may trigger it and lessen your exposure. Keeping a diary for both food and your mood is essential to track any cycles or patterns that emerge in your life. To reduce your current stress, light exercise like yoga or aerobics is suggested.

4 Tests To Correctly Diagnose Your IBS

IBS is an acronym for Irritable bowel syndrome. It affects your large intestine and its symptoms are cramping, bloating, and uncomfortable bowel movements. IBS goes undiagnosed in a lot of the population, as it is hard to diagnose. Mostly women 45 years old or younger are diagnosed with IBS: about 60% of people being treated for IBS are women. Although no definite reason has been found to cause IBS, there are several tests that you can do to rule out other diseases like colon cancer.

Stool Tests

You know already that any of these tests for IBS will be uncomfortable, strange, and a little embarrassing. However, if you keep in mind that this will help you feel better and keep your colon functioning normally, it will help keep your mind calm when going through any of these tests. Not all tests will be recommended to you; sometimes you’ll only need one or two tests.

The most common and helpful test to diagnose IBS is a stool test. This can be done at your home and you do not need more than a walnut-sized piece to give back to the doctor. Doctors can see the nutrients you may or may not be absorbing, and see possible signs of infection through the presence of parasites or blood.

Blood Tests

Blood work is done to look for celiac disease, which is the body’s inability to digest gluten. Celiac disease actually ruins the guy and intestines, so you have to be careful of your diet if you are diagnosed. If ruled out, you can rest easy knowing that IBS does not damage your intestines.

Colonoscopy

The most common reason of doing a colonoscopy is to look for colon cancer. However, this is not usually done with patients with IBS; a test is usually administered if someone in your family has had colon cancer, and if you are over the age of 50. You must prepare for a colonoscopy by sticking to a liquid diet for a few days before the procedure, and take laxatives before, as well. During the procedure, the doctor will insert a small camera into your rectum and check the lining of your colon and your large intestine.

Lactose Intolerance Tests

Being lactose intolerant has many of the same symptoms of IBS: gas, bloating, diarrhea and discomfort in your abdomen. Sometimes a person may have both IBS and lactose intolerance at the same time. To check if you are lactose intolerant, there are two tests you can do. One is called a breath-test, where you drink a beverage containing lactose, and afterwards, you blow up around eight medical bags every fifteen minutes. These bags are then tested for raised levels of hydrogen, which occurs when undigested lactose sits in the colon.

To Sum Up

Getting tested for IBS may be a long process with some uncomfortable tests, but it is worth it to undergo a few days of discomfort to find a correct diagnosis. There are many medications, diets and supplements on the market that can help you and improve your quality of life, so undergoing a test is the best solution for you.

Identifying What Type Of IBS You Have

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a disorder based in the large intestine. It is treatable and manageable, but undiagnosed, it can make your life unpleasant and even unmanageable. IBS is not easy to treat as there are a variety of symptoms that vary from person to person. Occuring at any time of the day, IBS symptoms may worsen after eating a certain food or if you’re undergoing a lot of stress. These are called flare-ups, which means your symptoms are worse than usual.

Some symptoms of IBS include:

• bloating
• stomach cramping
• constipation
• diarrhea

There are three different kinds of IBS, which come with their own individual symptoms and treatments. Here is a short description of each type and possible ways to diminish your symptoms.

IBS with Constipation

IBS is diagnosed by the kinds of stool you pass, so noticing the constituency and pain you may feel helps your doctor the best way to treat you. The kind of IBS that includes mostly constipation is known as IBS-C. Stools are hard and painful and difficult to pass more than 25% of the time.

To relieve IBS-C symptoms, consider changing your diet, taking medication and even adding a supplement. High-fiber foods are especially helpful in softening your stools. Some of these foods include beans, peas, cauliflower, whole wheat pasta and oatmeal.

Besides laxatives, you can take a supplement to help relieve any inflammation and also soothe your stomach. Look for supplements with Psyllium for an additional amount of fiber, while supplements that also contain ginger root and fennel oil help eliminate stomach cramps.

IBS with Diarrhea

Another type of IBS is IBS-D, which is diagnosed by loose stools for over 25% of the time. Mucus may also be found in your stool, as well. This type can be triggered by eating spicy foods or dairy, but may occur with no clear outside influence. It is recommended to go on a low-fiber diet if you have IBS-D. Low-fiber foods include fish, peanut butter, eggs, white rice and lean meats like poultry. It is also advisable to cut out dairy from your diet, including milk, cream, cheese and ice cream.

There are several kinds of medications prescribed to help treat IBS, including antibiotics. Others include dietary supplements that you can take for IBS-C can be taken along with these medications, which may help relieve pain, cramping and gas.

Mixed Type

The third kind of IBS is called IBS-M, for “mixed type.” This means that there is no consistent bowel movement symptoms but it alters between diarrhea and constipation, along with stomach cramping, gas, and general abdominal pain. Treatment for this kind is the most difficult because symptoms change so much with no warning. Here, it is suggested you go on an elimination diet, where you slowly cut out certain foods for a week or two to find possible trigger foods that cause flare-ups. Both kinds of medications should be on hand as well.

Diagnosis and Treatment

To be properly diagnosed, IBS symptoms should occur for over a period of six months. There are several tests that your doctor could give you to narrow down the type of IBS you may have. Some tests that are most commonly given are blood tests, stool tests, x-rays of your colon and even a colonoscopy.