Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
The word ‘Syndrome’ means a group of symptoms. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a group of symptoms that includes abdominal pain, changed pattern or regularity of bowel movements, and many other symptoms, such as cramps, bloating of the abdomen, urge to pass the stools, unsatisfactory stools, etc.
Changes in the pattern of Bowel movements can be variable and, based on that, IBS can be classified into 4 types:
- Diarrhea Predominant IBS: This is a type of IBS where symptoms of diarrhea are common.
- Constipation Predominant IBS: It is a type of IBS where symptoms of constipation are common.
- IBS causes both diarrhea and constipation or causes diarrhea and constipation alternately.
- IBS causes neither diarrhea nor constipation.
At certain times, a person can be diagnosed with IBS after having an infection causing symptoms like fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and positive stool culture categorized as ‘Postinfectious IBS’.
How can Homeopathy help in curing Irritable Bowel Syndrome ?
IBS is known to be a functional disorder of the gastrointestinal system. As we know, emotional stress, disturbances in the stress system i.e. HPA axis, the sensitivity of the intestines to different foods, etc. are the various causes that can trigger and aggravate IBS. Thus, this condition requires a system of medicine that addresses these causes. Homeopathic treatment treats the disturbances in the stress system, makes an individual capable of dealing with various psychological problems, and maintains an equilibrium between the mind and body. Thus, the root cause of IBS is taken care of and this is evident with the improvement in the relief from the symptoms at the physical level.
Homeopathic treatment for IBS is beneficial in the following ways:
- Homeopathy helps to keep our mind calm.
- It helps us to deal with our negative emotions, such as anxiety, anger, guilt, worries, hatred, etc.
- Homeopathy helps to improve our stress-coping system
- It reduces or treats the hypersensitivity of the gut towards certain foodstuffs.
- As we adopt an individualistic approach in Homeopathic treatment, the minor issues or problems specific to a particular patient are also taken into consideration during the treatment.
Homeopathy addresses the root cause of the disease, in the case of IBS, it is psychological factors, such as emotional stress, anger, etc., and abnormal sensitivity towards certain foodstuffs. Homeopathy treats the disturbance at the level of the stress-coping system. Homeopathy very well addresses the relationship between the psyche and the physique of the patient. Homeopathic medicines help in imparting positive emotions and feelings so that the patient can handle stress effectively and does not let himself get affected negatively by the stressors.
Homeopathy studies every individual patient with IBS in detail by considering the minute details of the person and not just by concentrating on the gastrointestinal affections. Homeopathy treats every patient as a whole entity by taking into consideration all the general symptoms as well as symptoms particular to specific organ systems, such as gastrointestinal symptoms.
IBS can be categorized as a functional disorder. Functional disorder in the sense the abnormality lies at a functional level, the movements of the intestine are neither regular nor normal. While we are examining the intestinal tract, there will be no structural change or pathology observed. Our Intestines are The peristaltic movements of the intestines (regular contractions and dilatations) are disturbed, they either contract too hard or are dilated too long.
IBS is known by many different names like colitis, mucous colitis, spastic bowel, functional bowel disease, nervous colon, etc. However, many of these terms are not doesn’t provide a proper understanding of the disease. Colitis stands for the inflammation of the colon whereas in IBS there is no inflammation.
How long will it take to cure Irritable Bowel Syndrome ?
IBS is a functional disorder that can be triggered by several factors, and it can present with slow or fast progress. Since many factors contribute to its development, along with homeopathic medicines, diet, lifestyle, and stress factors also play an important role in its treatment.
The duration of homeopathic treatment for IBS also depends on the following factors:
- The duration of the disease
- The previous use of conventional medicines
- The general condition of the patient
- Age of the patient
- Any associated diseases along with IBS
We can expect an initial improvement within 8 to 12 weeks of homeopathic treatment. However, a treatment of 12 to 16 months is recommended for a significant recovery.
