Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS is a common disorder that affects your intestine. Most people develop IBS while they are between 18- 40 years of age. 

The symptoms for IBS are quite minor. However, IBS can be a lifelong problem. It can have a big impact on your daily activities. There is no cure, but there are things you can do that will help control it. However, please note that this condition doesn't cause any changes in your bowel tissue. It is not a cause for colorectal cancer either. 

Ayurveda refers to IBS as Grahani in its old texts. Ayurvedic treatment for IBS provides great relief to many who are suffering from it.

We do not know the real reasons for IBS. However, we know that many factors contribute to it.Problems with the nerves in your digestive system will cause you to experience extreme discomfort in your abdomen.

Sometimes, IBS can develop after a severe bout of diarrhea or other bacterial infections.

The walls of our intestines have layers of muscle that help move our food along our digestive tract. These muscles contract and push the food along. It can slow food passage, thus causing IBS. 

IBS Risk factors 

Some of the common risk factors are

Gender - IBS is more common among women. 

Age - IBS affects more people who are under the age of 50.

Family history - If you have a family history of IBS, you are more prone to developing it. 

Mental health - People who suffer from anxiety, depression, or other mental health problems are more likely to develop IBS. 

You may experience some or all of these signs if you have IBS

Abdominal pain

Excess gas

Mucus in the stool

Diarrhea 

Constipation

Cramping

Gas and bloating

Fatigue

Rectal bleeding

Difficulty in swallowing food

Poor sleep quality

Some factors seem to trigger IBS symptoms. These are

Food: While there is no proven link connecting food allergies and IBS, certain food items seem to trigger IBS. Wheat, dairy products, citrus fruits, cabbage, beans are some of the food items that trigger IBS symptoms.

Stress: If you are suffering from IBS, any mental stress makes the symptoms worse and appear more frequent

Hormonal changes: Women are twice as more likely to have IBS than men. The symptoms get worse during menstruation period for many ladies.

There are no specific tests to identify IBS in you. Your doctor will check your medical history in detail and look for symptoms related to IBS. The doctor may follow the Rome criteria, a set of guidelines about the signs and symptoms of IBS.

The main condition here is for you to have severe and repeating abdominal pain. This pain should be there at least one day a week for the last three months. The other signs are

Your pain goes off after defecation passing stool.

The increase or decrease in your bowel movements affects your pain.

You can link the pain to an increase or decrease in your bowel movements.

 

In addition to checking these symptoms, your doctor might also ask for some imaging and lab tests. These tests also help the doctor to rule out other conditions. The tests include the following

Endoscopy

Breath test to check bacterial growth in the intestine

Colonoscopy

Flexible sigmoidoscopy

X-rays and CT-scans

IBS can lead to some other issues such as

Fecal impaction - Constipation from IBS can make the stool so hard that it becomes difficult to pass with usual bowel movements

Hemorrhoids- Repeated bouts can cause the blood vessels around the anus to hurt and bleed

Lack of nutrition - You will mostly avoid many food items if you have IBS. However, this may cause issues with nutrition

Stress, depression, and bad quality of life - Frequent bathroom visits due to IBS can be emotionally draining and make one avoid social interactions. It can be a reason for mental health issues.

Ayurveda, the old Indian medical system, is practiced in India for more than 3000 years. The texts have details about various diseases and the treatments for them. Symptoms of Grahani disease in Ayurveda is the same as that of IBS.

As per Ayurveda, all of us have three doshas or energy forces within us. We are healthy when these are in balance. Any change in the balance of these doshas causes diseases.

Poor nutrition, overeating, cold foods, stress, etc. lead to digestive issues. These create toxins, which are known as 'Ama' in Ayurveda. It also causes a Vata imbalance in your body. 

Disturbed Vata, which controls the circulation in the body, carries this Ama, which gets deposited in the colon area of the body. It leads to cramps and the tightening of intestine muscles. 

As per Ayurveda, the main types of IBS are

Vata type IBS - Constipation, dryness of the skin, bloating, lack of sleep, anxiety, and weight loss are the common signs for this type.

Pitta type IBS- The main signs of this type are diarrhea, thirst, anger, sweating, fever, and foul-smelling stool.

Kapha type IBS - Dysentry, belching, lethargy, bloating are the main signs here.

There are highly effective treatments in Ayurveda for IBS. Recovery rate will be much higher if you take the treatment at the early stages itself. 

Another key advantage is that this treatment will have almost no side effects. It is because the medicines used here are from herbs and so will not have any harmful chemicals.

The treatment plan will be specific and will be as per your body type and symptoms. The doctor will decide on the plan only after seeing you in person.

The typical treatment methods in Ayurveda for IBS include

Snehapanam - oral intake of medicated ghee and oil

Vamana - induced vomiting

Virechana- induced purging

Takradhara- pouring of medicated buttermilk over the forehead

Shirodhara - pouring of medicated oils over the forehead

 

However, as stated above, your doctor will decide the plan as per your body type and condition. You will need to be in the hospital for 21-28 days for the treatment. 

Yoga and meditation have a big part in the treatment. It helps in managing the stress associated with IBS.

There is no permanent cure for IBS in modern medicine. However, medications, diet, and lifestyle changes can help in improving the situation. 

Your doctor may advise you to avoid certain food items as they can trigger the symptoms and make it worse. These include wheat, cabbage, coffee, etc. 

Regular exercises, drinking water and having enough sleep (7-8 hours a day) are other things you can do to control it.

Usual medications for IBS include anticholinergics, antidepressants, and pain killers. Some of these medicines have severe side effects, so you should be careful while taking them. 

There are a few things that you can do to control the symptoms of IBS. Some of the main ones are listed below.

Follow a healthy diet

Drink lots of water

Do regular physical exercises

Reduce stress

Limit intake of caffeine, alcohol, and fatty foods