Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) is a chronic gastrointestinal (GI) issue that causes frequent swelling, stomach pain, and inconsistent stools that are also difficult to pass.
While not hazardous, IBS-C can be extremely uncomfortable and interfere with your everyday activities.
There’s no cure, so treatment for IBS-C depends vigorously on a way of life and dietary changes, alongside the help of medications that focus on your symptoms.
If you suspect you may have IBS-C, become familiar with the typical signs and symptoms of this situation and what you can do to relieve them.
What are the symptoms and signs of IBS-C?
IBS itself is a generally common digestive disorder that affects an expected 7 to 21 percent of people in the United States.
IBS-C is only one type of IBS. Different types include IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D), as well as IBS with rotating diarrhea and constipation (IBS-A).
While a wide range of IBS can cause changes in bowel movements alongside stomach pain, there are progressively distinct indications if you have IBS-C.
Some of the more normal signs and symptoms of IBS-C include:
- Painful swelling
- Excessive gas
- Sentiments of a rock or block in your stomach
- Inconsistent bowel movements(three or less every week)
- Stools that are all the more hard or uneven
- Feeling that the bowel can’t pass stools completely
Once you do have a bowel action with IBS-C, your swelling and pain may leave briefly. However, these symptoms will, in general, come back.
What makes IBS-C not quite the same as ordinary constipation is that it causes significant swelling and pain that you likely wouldn’t have if you were constipated. IBS doesn’t cause bloody stools or accidental weight loss.
What causes IBS-C?
While IBS-C is common, the specific causes are as yet obscure. It might be genetic, so if you have a relative with IBS, your individual hazard might be higher.
IBS carries hidden inflammation in the GI tract, which also might be identified with past bacterial infections as well as variations in your immune system.
Another chance is that your brain-gut relationship might be changed, so your cerebrum isn’t giving the right signs to direct intestinal movements.
How is IBS-C diagnosed?
There’s no single test to regulate if you have IBS-C. IBS additionally isn’t diagnosed to have imaging tests or blood work, although these tools might be utilized to preclude different conditions.
Instead, your doctor will diagnose your condition to a great extent, dependent on the history of your symptoms. It’s essential to monitor your symptoms of constipation, alongside the planning and seriousness of stomach pain and swelling. These are key characteristics that separate IBS-C from regular constipation.
A physical test can also enable your doctor to diagnose IBS-C. This condition can regularly cause visible stomach swelling. They may also delicately press against your belly to measure associated pain.
How is IBS-C treated?
Treatment for IBS-C focuses on lessening your symptoms and improving your general personal satisfaction. While IBS can’t be cured, treatments can assist you with feeling less bloating and pain, alongside improved bowel movement consistencies.
Medications
Your doctor will probably recommend over-the-counter (OTC) constipation treatments first. Choices include fiber supplements, diuretics, and stool softeners.
Certain “detox” teas may also have comparative laxative effects that you may discuss with your doctor. The thought is that softening your stools and increasing your bowel movements will improve different symptoms of discomfort.
If OTC options don’t work, you may require a prescription medication. Antispasmodics are utilized to help loosen up your GI tract.
Another alternative is a new class of medications called pro-secretory agents. These help IBS-C by softening stools in your digestion tracts. You may discover your bowel movements are continuous and simpler to pass.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), an organization of antidepressants, may also be useful in improving brain-gut interactions. These may also help improve secondary symptoms of IBS-C, such as stress and depression.
Lifestyle remedies
Way of life remedies can go far in complementing medical approaches to IBS-C treatment. Getting enough sleep and exercising each day can help regulate bowel movements, decrease stress, and improve primary inflammation.
Is there a recommended diet for IBS-C?
Before attempting fiber supplements for IBS-C, you may consider increasing soluble fiber in your eating regimen first. Sources include oats, grain, and flax. You might also consider taking a food sensitivity test.
Your doctor may also recommend that you avoid the accompanying:
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Carbonated drinks
- Gluten
- Sugar
If you need an increasingly structured eating plan for IBS, you may consider the low-fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) diet. The reason for this eating routine is to reduce the number of specific carbohydrates that may trigger GI upset.
With a low FODMAP diet, your doctor will request that you expel certain foods from your eating plan for as long as about a month and a half. You will, at that point, include them back in each, in turn, to determine whether any are triggers for your IBS-C symptoms.
High FODMAP Foods to keep away from include:
- Sugars, such as fructose, honey, corn syrups
- Certain fruits, such as apples, apricots, avocado, and melon
- Lactose, which is found in milk
- Wheat
- Garlic and onions
- Beans and vegetables
Is it IBS-C or CSID?
Sometimes IBS-C might be confused with a congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency (CSID). Otherwise called sucrose intolerance, CSID is set apart by a lack of digestive chemicals called sucrase and isomaltase. These are necessary to enable your body to digest sucrose, which is table sugar.
Sugar might be one trigger for IBS-C manifestations; however, this is a different condition from CSID. IBS itself isn’t induced by the lack of digestive compounds seen in CSID. Now and then, CSID might be erroneously diagnosed as IBS at first.
Both CSID and IBS-C may cause swelling and stomach pain. What sets CSID separated, however, is that it can cause diarrhea, nausea, and acid reflux, especially directly after you consume table sugar.
IBS-C is one of the most basic types of irritable bowel syndrome, a common gastrointestinal issue.
It’s critical to monitor your manifestations — including bowel movement frequency — to enable your doctor to diagnose this condition.
It’s best managed by changes in the way of life and diet, although medications can help, as well.
Call your doctor urgently if you notice any strange symptoms. Weight loss, bloody stools, and vomiting might be identified with a condition more severe than IBS-C.