Last Updated on February 2, 2023 by Dr. Abadullah Sajid Bashir
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?
IBS is a chronic digestive system disease that prevents a person from leading a normal life.
Its symptoms are such that the patient remains in pain and discomfort. Symptoms sometimes include abdominal pain, sometimes gas, sometimes constipation, sometimes pain in the colon, sometimes irritability, and in some cases, headache.
As far as the research has been done, the causes of IBS have not been known, but it is certain that IBS is strongly related to the state of the mind. Being disturbed mind whether it is due to an illness or due to a certain type of food there are chances of developing IBS.
If someone gets IBS once, then this condition continues for a long time and in some cases, this disorder continues for up to fifty years.
To read the full description and comprehensive information of IBS, why it happens, when it happens, how it happens, how to get rid of it, Click Here
What is an IBS attack?
An IBS attack is a situation in which the symptoms of IBS appear in full force and the pain is so severe that it becomes unbearable. This pain creates such a situation that an IBS patient has to come to the hospital emergency and it may take five to eight days for the patient to fully return to their normal life.
Types of IBS Attacks
There are basically three types of IBS attacks which are detailed below.
1.Common IBS attack
2.Mild IBS attack
3.Severe IBS attack
1. Common IBS attack
This is the case of IBS attack in which the patient shows symptoms which include the common symptoms of IBS such as diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain, gas, irritability, lack of interest in any work, etc.
How to Survive a Common IBS Attack
In a common IBS attack, it is very important for the patient to take his routine medication which is prescribed by his doctor for recovery along with rest.
Adjustments should be made to reduce the symptoms of IBS, including diet changes, water changes, and if there is a mental or behavior problem, remove it.
In this type of attack, the patient does not have much trouble and the patient recovers in one to two days.
2. Mild IBS attack
This is the second type of IBS which is a little more dangerous in that the patient shows symptoms of moderate IBS and these symptoms are those the patient is suffering under normal circumstances. But the pain and other symptoms are more severe in nature. In mild IBS attack, the pain of all these symptoms or one of them increases and it becomes very difficult for the patient to do normal work or lead a life.
Symptoms of mild IBS attack
These are. the same symptoms that the patient is experiencing in IBS, but their intensity is slightly increased
- Severe cramping in the stomach and intestines
- Increased gas in belly
- increased diarrhea or not having stool even after several days, that is, constipation
- Body weakness and pain in the intestines
Treatment and prevention
In order to treat it, the patient needs to change his diet and behavior in addition to the medicine prescribed by the doctor, and if he has a mild IBS attack, he must go to the doctor. Foods that are soft or that contain fiber, such as the use of Psyllium (Isabgol), along with medication, can help you recover from a mild attack.
The only way to prevent a mild IBS attack is to remember and keep an updated food chart of what food caused your symptoms and how severe they were. Go to see if your IBS symptoms worsen.
3. Severe IBS attack
This is a severe type of IBS in which the symptoms of IBS appear so severe that the patient has to go to the emergency hospital as soon as possible and take life-saving and pain-relieving drugs as soon as possible.
In this IBS attack, the patient does not recover without a visit to the emergency, and if left untreated, in some cases, the abdominal pain becomes so severe that the patient approaches death. Breathing may stop.
Symptoms
There are two main symptoms of a severe IBS attack.
- Severe intolerable pain in gastrointestinal track
- Severe anxiety disorder.
In the first case, the pain in the intestines is so severe that it becomes unbearable and the patient collapses and it becomes necessary to go to the emergency hospital. Along with the pain, severe cramping begins. The forehead and hands sweat and the breath becomes labored. Now it is difficult to avoid it.
Regardless of this, IBS is not life threating, whether any type of attack, but due to severe pain, the patient definitely starts thinking and feeling that he may die.
Reasons of severe IBS attack
There are two main causes of a severe IBS attack
- Food
- State of mind
This situation can occur if a person consumes foods that cause IBS symptoms. Even if you start doing it, an attack can come. Such mental stress or anxiety that is constantly going on with the patient is increasing it intensity, this attack can happen.
If the patient consumes such a food that can cause severe symptoms and mental/behavior problems are also added to it, then it becomes an attack.
It is worth mentioning here that in early IBS attack, consumption of food which is inappropriate is more important than mental distress and can be the cause of IBS.
What are the foods that trigger severe IBS attacks?
As for the question of which food causes a IBS attack, it varies from patient to patient.
In some patients, one type of food does not cause symptoms, but in others it can heppen.
The most common ones are described below.
- Continued high consumption of eggs
- Excessive consumption of peas or products made from peas.
- Regular use of eggplant
- High consumption and continuous use of mutton
- Excessive use of ginger
- Continuous use of Lentils curry
- Continuous use of Kadhi
What are the aftershocks of a severe IBS attack?
After the acute severe IBS attack, when the patient returns from the emergency, the pain in his stomach and intestines remains for about four to seven days. That is, if he puts his hand on the intestines he will feel pain, similarly he will feel pain while walking. Pain will be felt while sitting and the patient will be physically very weak.
Treatment of severe IBS attacks
As far as its treatment is concerned, the patient has to go to the emergency hospital as soon as possible and take medicine as soon as possible.
As soon as you go to the emergency, tell the doctor your past history, how long you have been a patient and what medicine you are using and how you get treated in an emergency before. This will help the doctor to try to get you back quickly. [1]How to recognize an IBS attack: Symptoms, causes, and treatment (medicalnewstoday.com)
If hospital is not available and the IBS attack occurs, the following measures may be helpful.
- Go through sexual activity two to three times as soon as possible and ask your partner to try to satisfy me, this will relax the muscles and reduce abdominal cramping.
- If you are not married, do musturbation at least two to three times.
- Drink water, especially de-ionized water, on a full stomach, drink it again after a while.
- Stop eating food and start eating soft and easily digestible food twelve hours after the attack, the food that is causing the pain should be out of the body.
- Consume the Isabgol regularly to relieve.
- Continue to consume ice cream i.e. ice cream plain every three hours which will benefit you in IBS.
- Also continue to use the medicines prescribed by your doctor.
- Be sure to use sedatives prescribed by your doctor.
Note: You have to learn how to live with IBS on your own because it is your painful companion.
Reviewed By:
- Muhammad Zubair Chaudhary
- Muhammad Khan Malik
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References