There are numerous symptoms of IBS and the anxiety irritable bowel syndrome link is one of the less discussed.
The symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) will be different from person to person. One of the most common symptoms is bowel dysfunction accompanied by abdominal discomfort or pain. On average it is estimated that someone with IBS will suffer for 12 weeks over the course of a 12 month period.
This does not mean that these 12 weeks have to be consecutive though. It is usual for IBS to come and go, sometimes attacks may only last a few hours. There is also the possibility of suffering a number of other symptoms like depression, stress and anxiety.
There are many disorders that can cause abdominal pain. For this reason it should not be assumed that that you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome if you experience abdominal pain or discomfort. Many people jump to this conclusion thinking they have a form of IBS, but without proper diagnosis it could just as easily be one of the other digestive or gastrointestinal disorders.
One way to identify if you have IBS is the abdominal pain can often be relieved after having bowel movement and sometimes the bowel movement can be abnormally colored.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a bit of a contrary condition as some people can suffer from constipation, while others may suffer with diarrhea and there are some who experience alternating constipation and diarrhea. This is because Irritable Bowel Syndrome affects the function of the colon, therefore the ability to pass a stool.
The colon can also go into spasms, which will push your stool out of your body before all the necessary digestive and waste processing have taken place. Alternating between clenching up and spasming is what causes a person to go from suffering with diarrhea to having the pains that go with constipation.
Another common symptom of Irritable Bowel Syndrome is bloating. This is due to the gas build up in the intestines increasing the pressure in the abdomen.
Of course, all of these symptoms effect the way you live your life, meaning you need to avoid certain trigger foods, and are not able to be too far away from a bathroom.
This impact can lead to a number of mental and emotional symptoms that are commonly seen in IBS sufferers..
Suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome increases the risk of experiencing bouts of depression or feeling more stressed and anxious. There may be nights where you simply cannot sleep, and you may even have panic attacks because you do not know when and where the next bathroom visit is needed.
It is believed that between 50 and 90 percent of people being treated for IBS have psychological conditions, which includes social anxiety, panic disorder, stress disorder or a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
There are a number of ways of relieving the anxiety, the first is to seek the best advice on relieving the IBS symptoms. This should be done in conjunction with your advising physician.
There are also a number of relaxation techniques that you can use to soothe the anxiety symptoms. These should be tried before turning to anxiety medication which could complicate and effect your IBS treatment.
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Some people gain pain and anxiety relief through visualization and imagery, and others through using deep breathing techniques. Alternatively listening to your favorite music, meeting with friends or just taking up a hobby can work wonders to make you realize there is more to life than your IBS.
Getting a good night sleep every night can help reduce anxiety, as can carrying out some form of regular exercise, and improving your diet.
The anxiety irritable bowel syndrome connection has been shown to be real concern in many IBS sufferers. Learning methods to relieve anxiety and stress can allow you to concentrate on gaining control over the other IBS symptoms, and live a life that is not controlled by IBS.