If you have been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) by your doctor, I may be able to predict the story of your diagnosis journey…
Your most noticeable first symptoms most likely began when you were a teenager or younger and began with embarrassing gas and some bloating. You’re probably a female since IBS affects twice as many women as men. If you went to the doctor, he/she probably told you it was Pre-menstrual Symptom or constipation and scribbled you a perception to alleviate the pain and/or constipation. After a few years, your symptoms became increasingly worse and included greater pain, cramping and either severe constipation and/or diarrhea. As you approached your mid-late 30’s and 40’s, you’ve perhaps noticed mucus in your stool, rectal bleeding and increased abdominal pain during the night. As you approached 50, you’re told it’s menopausal. Sound familiar?
Homoeopathy can help, from the onset of symptoms and prevent them from getting worse as a person ages. This form of treatment is highly affective because each person is treated individually, specific to the symptoms they are suffering from and given their medical and family history. This is because homoeopathy works as a holistic medicine; mind, body and spirit (emotions) and targets at healing the triggers and not just each of the specific body parts.
Throughout your journey of pain and discomfort, you’ve most often been through a plethora of medical tests, colon checks and taken various medications without realizing the root cause(s) of your discomfort and pain. Finally, when diagnosed with IBS, you’re probably wondering what that means, exactly.
But what is IBS? According to the Mayo Clinic research, the intestinal wall muscles are contractions are more severe and last longer than normal in IBS patients; thus causing gas, bloating and diarrhea. Or the opposite happens, and the slower contractions result in hard, dry stools. They also state that signals between the brain and intestines are not working properly or that there may be an abnormality in the gastrointestinal nervous system.
Never the less, it’s still a shocking fact that as many as 1 in 5 people suffer from IBS in North America! The Mayo Clinic research says that IBS causes are mostly unknown, but they attribute this ‘disease’ to the following:
1. Foods: allergies, intolerance, spices, etc.
2. Stress: irritates IBS, but doesn’t cause it
3. Hormones: IBS is mostly a female disease, and worse at the time of PMS
4. Other illnesses: bacterial overgrowth, etc.
Since homoeopathy treats the root cause and its remedies promote the body’s self-healing mechanisms and not just symptoms, IBS can be effectively treated with Homoeopathic Medicines.
Some of the remedies that are effective to treat IBS include: Bryonia for constipation with no urge, Colocynthis for cramping pains – doubling over in pain. Mer. Cor. for blood in stool.
Dr Kumar recommends that patients continue to see their doctor and gastroenterologist to monitor their condition.
It’s interesting to note, that the research (www.mayoclinic.com) indicates that besides genetic predisposition, gender and age, one of the risk factors in women getting IBS is rooted in ‘anxiety, depression, a personality disorder and a history of childhood sexual abuse are risk factors. For women, domestic abuse may be a risk factor as well.’
This fits in with the homoeopathic model of how the body is an entity, (body, mind, spirit, emotions) and must be diagnosed and treated individually, and as a whole.
The Winnipeg Homoeopathic Clinic carries a full line of remedies to address all your health concerns. To book an appointment with Dr. Kumar, call 204 7992962 or email: www.drkumarhomoeopathy.com.
