The Effects Of Alcohol on Irritable Bowel Syndrome
August 9, 2008
Is irritable bowel syndrome the scourge of modern society? It is most definitely one of the most often diagnosed digestive disorder and it is actually the most common condition of all seen by gastroenterologists worldwide. Modern medicine has not yet discovered the cause of irritable bowel syndrome but it is recognized that there are certain triggers and factors that are considered as being associated with the condition
What Are These Factors?
1. Approximately half of all cases seem to occur after a major life changing event in the sufferer for example moving houses, changing jobs etc. when nervous tension seems to be at its highest. 2. Approximately 10-20 percent of sufferers report the occurrence of irritable bowel syndrome after contacting a severe bout of gastroenteritis where an infection in the stomach causes vomiting and diarrhea which seem to be the trigger for the disorder to flare up.
Alcohol and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Although alcohol can not be linked definitively as the cause of irritable bowel syndrome, however, owing to the fact that alcohol is a very strong gastrointestinal irritant, it will therefore result in making your existing symptoms flare up andeven more heightened and increased.
Once you have contacted irritable bowel syndrome even a single alcoholic drink can bring on an attack. If you are a sufferer the best way to see if alcohol does aggravate your system is to stay off it for a while taking note of how your body reacts. IYou will probably note some improvement, should you wish to continue drinking, start off slowly don?t mix your drinks as you wont know what dring is causing the problem, whilst keeping a close watch on your bodies reaction. If the problem persists, then oyu have just got to stop all alcohol for as long as it takes to rid yourself of the irritable bowel syndrome.
Obviously having a glass of wine with your dinner is not considered to be problematic but having a few beers tends to bring on an attack. As consuming alcohol basically dehydrates your system it is a good idea to have a glass of water between drinks. As you are probably aware For optimum hydration we should consume 8 pints of water per day This will help to combat the dehydration caused by consuming alcohol which has a definite affect on constipation and bloating suffered with irritable bowel syndrome.
It should now be obvious that alcohol and irritable bowel syndrome do not work together. However, there is more you can do to help your condition. You should consider changing your diet to include more fresh fruit and vegetables getting away from those sweet, fatty processed foods. This combined with regular exercise will ensure that your digestive system gets back to normal. When combined with cutting back on your consumption of alcohol you will definitely improve your overall health and your irritable bowel syndrome will subside and even disappear altogether.
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