Learning About Pregnancy Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Although there is not already enough to deal with when you are pregnant, irritable bowel syndrome is also a quite common infliction. Irritable bowel syndrome is an incredibly common disorder, one that is also known as spastic colon and nervous colon. It is a syndrome that involves a pattern of symptoms including pain and bloating, symptoms which tend to become more heightened if left untreated.

People suffering from irritable bowel syndrome may experience constipation, diarrhea, and an array of other symptoms as well.

Causes

There is actually no known cause of pregnancy irritable bowel syndrome to date, the underlying factor is considered as being an abnormality in the way that the intestinal muscles in the person contract. These muscles work automatically to move food products along the intestine to the rectum, and even when the muscles appear normal under a microscope they may not function normally because they either contract too tightly or too loosely.

Dealing With Pregnancy Irritable Bowel Syndrome

When it comes to dealing with pregnancy irritable bowel syndrome, the first thing you should do is make a change in your diet. You are going to want to refrain from eating any foods that are high in fat or sugar, as these are only going to worsen the symptoms of your condition. Caffeine should also be avoided and milk products and alcohol can also make your symptoms worse.

Remember that relief of this sort of condition is often a slow process and so even if you do all the right things in terms of treating your pregnancy irritable bowel syndrome, you may not begin to notice results for quite some time. It may actually even take six months or more for any definite improvement to be noted, and so patience is therefore extremely important when it comes to dealing with this sort of problem.

It is very important to work closely with your doctor here and if you can, even keep a journal of the foods and beverages that you are consuming and the progress that you are making in terms of recovery. It is also a good idea to keep a food diary because you may realize that you are eating more of certain foods than you may have thought.

Just remember that once you do begin to make progress and relieve your symptoms you should not go back to your old lifestyle, because if you do your condition is only going to end up worsening again.