Irritable bowel syndrome is a collection of symptoms that often point to poor digestion, including:
Abdominal pain
Gas
Bloating
Diarrhea
Constipation
Alternating diarrhea and constipation
Urgency
Those affected by IBS can also experience weight gain, depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, fibromyalgia, belching, and sometimes nausea.
Top Causes of IBS
An Allergy to the Small or Large Intestine. (This is actually a reason in almost all IBS cases I test.) This auto-immune issue means the immune system is attacking the tissue constantly, irritating it and causing it to spaz out and push food along too quickly.
Bacterial Overgrowth. I have found for many cases of IBS that it was triggered by a bacterial infection (such as a bad stomach bug) that just never really went away (some of these are "superbugs" resistant to antibiotics and very difficult to eradicate unless you give your body the proper supplements). Typical bloodwork or stool samples do not often show these, but energy testing always picks up on it quickly and easily. And there are certain supplements they CANNOT resist. ;)
Parasite Activity. Any time an organ is run-down it is an open host for parasites. An inflamed gut is susceptible to parasites which WILL cause cramping and pain. THIS IS THE TOP REASON children (and adults) complain of their “stomach hurting.”
Gallstones in the Liver or Gallbladder. This is often accompanied by frequent right side (ribcage) pain or discomfort, and nausea. Many people do not realize this, but gallstones START in the bile ducts in the liver, then can drop down into the gallbladder. By the time the gallbladder is full, the problem has been going on for quite a while. The bile that your liver produces carries toxins out of the liver but ALSO acts as "soap" to break down the fats we ingest during a meal. If the bile flow is blocked by stones in the bile ducts in the liver OR by stones in the gallbladder, fats go undigested which leads to bloating and gas as food just kind of "rots" in the intestines. Removal of the gallbladder does not fix the whole problem; the stones in the liver need to be dissolved also. Fortunately there are supplements that can and will do this easily!
Stones in the Pancreas (also known as "gallstones" in the pancreas). These can block the ducts in the pancreas which release digestive enzyme juices into the small intestine, leading to enzyme deficiency and food cannot be broken down properly. This leads to bloating and gas right after meals. Typically if this is the case, clients describe it as feeling like there is a "rock" right underneath their left ribcage, close to the center.
Leaky Gut. A permeable gut lining allows yeast, toxins from bacteria, and large food particles into your bloodstream. This is also known as “leaky gut.”
Food Sensitivities such as gluten. An inflamed and “leaky” gut will allow food particles to cross into the bloodstream. This activates a response from the immune system. One of the best ways to heal food sensitivities is to seal the gut. The new laser technology used at Abundant Life desensitizes the immune system to any food sensitivities so the digestive tract can heal.
Endometriosis Tissue. This last reason is the most rare, but can be a persistent problem for some women. According to research, endometriosis tissue (extra female tissue that can grow around AND inside the intestines) can cause abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, constipation, vomiting, painful bowel movements, and diarrhea. If you have a history of PCOS, cysts, hormone imbalance, irregular periods, and frequent pain around the ovaries, it is quite possible endometriosis could be a cause of your IBS. Nutritional therapy can help balance your hormones so such tissue does not continue to grow; however, in certain cases, surgery may be necessary to remove that extra tissue.
Solutions
Since there are many causes, it’s anyone’s guess until you can get specifically checked for what is going on. Nutrition Response Testing offers a non-invasive way of checking for all of the above causes and offers natural solutions that will start you on the process of healing completely, once and for all!
This does not usually take the full 4 months to start resolving either - one of my clients who had had chronic diarrhea for 12 years (going at least 20 times every morning) had it STOP within the first 3 weeks and normal bowel movements resume after we cleared her allergy to the small intestine (along with adding probiotics and balancing everything else in her body).