Good Luck Waiting for a Cure for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Many people who have irritable bowel syndrome suffer through a variety of different symptoms like constipation or diarrhea along with abdominal pain, gas and bloating. If these symptoms are happening to you on a regular basis, you probably are wishing that there was a cure for irritable bowel syndrome. Unfortunately, there is no cure, just a long laundry list of treatments and medications that can help alleviate your symptoms.

Defining IBS

To understand why there is no known cure for irritable bowel syndrome, you have to understand a little bit more about the condition itself. IBS is a multi-dimensional disorder characterized by a number of different symptoms, all with no known cause that could be traced to a specific event like a bacterial or viral infection.

The reason why there is no cure for irritable bowel syndrome is that doctors and researchers are still trying to understand the relationship between the pain you experience in the colon and its relationship with transmitting this pain to the brain and autonomic nervous system. It could also be a problem with sensory functions or even bowel function that has nothing to do with anything else.

There is still also no logical reason why twice as many women as men have IBS although there are some guesses such as the fact hormones may be a contributing cause. However this does not explain why men do get IBS, albeit in less frequency than women although it does shed light into why there is no cure for irritable bowel syndrome.

Treating IBS

Instead of bemoaning the fact that there is no cure for irritable bowel syndrome, you should do what you can to lessen the severity of your symptoms. There is always the chance that your condition could go into spontaneous remission as is the case with other people. By following doctor's instructions regarding your lifestyle changes along with medication intervention, there is no reason why you cannot lead a relatively normal life even with IBS.

A diet rich in fiber can greatly help your IBS symptoms when they are accompanied by diarrhea as the fiber will help "bulk up" your stool. Increase water intake and medications like Zelnorm can help your colon retain enough water to produce a softer stool versus constipation. The trick is to find different treatment options which can alleviate the pain and other symptoms. Of course, this is not a cure for irritable bowel syndrome but it is the best that anyone can hope to do.