Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Natural Treatment for IBS

IBS stands for Irritable Bowel Syndrome and describes a condition of the gastrointestinal tract where the lining becomes irritated, inflamed, or damaged. It affects 1 in 10 people globally and is a very common complaint at the doctor’s office. It certainly makes life more challenging and difficult to enjoy.

The condition starts with an acute irritation to the gut lining. As it progresses it can turn into colitis, which is inflammation of the colon. Left untreated it can trigger the immune system to attack the lining of the gut (autoimmunity), leading to ulcerative colitis.

No matter what you call it, all of these stages are just variations of the severity of the condition. The chronic inflammatory nature of the condition has been implicated in the development of more severe diseases, like cancer.

Unfortunately, most doctors do not know how to treat this condition and simply try to suppress symptoms, leaving the underlying cause untreated, which can lead to more severe conditions down the road.

The great news is that this condition can be resolved by addressing the underlying causes!

IBS Symptoms

IBS is defined as abdominal pain or discomfort, along with a changed bowel habit (such as diarrhea or constipation), for 3 months or more. The symptoms may be different from person to person and can include:

• sharp stomach pain, spasms, and cramps
• stomach gas, bloating, and distension
• diarrhea and/or constipation
• mucus in the stool
• nausea after eating
• rectal bleeding
• abdominal pain that progresses or occurs at night
• weight loss

What Causes IBS

A variety of factors may play a role in the development of IBS. Each individual can have their own unique factors that bring about the condition. Some common causes include:

• food allergies & sensitivities – some foods, for certain individuals can up-regulate the immune system and trigger IBS. In fact, many people can identify that their IBS symptoms intensify when they eat certain foods. Common culprits include gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, chocolate, spices, fats, fruits, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, carbonated beverages, and alcohol.
• gut microbiome imbalance  – there are 100 trillion bacteria in your gut, 10x as many as your own cells! An overgrowth of bad bacteria (SIBO), yeasts, fungi, microbes,  parasites, or worms can lead to IBS.
• hidden infections in the gut
• hormones – changes in hormones, such as perimenopause, menopause, and shifts during the menstrual cycle. Women are twice as likely to have this condition as men, and symptoms often increase around the time of menstruation.
• chronic inflammation in the gut
• heavy metal toxicity
• stress
• poor diet, including too much sugar and starch
• nutritional deficiencies
• lack of digestive enzymes
• use of certain medications, like antibiotics, steroids, birth control pills, acid blockers, etc.
• lack of exercise & activity
• dehydration

Natural IBS Treatment

Treatment for your IBS is tailored based on what was discovered as the underlying cause(s) and trigger(s). This can include:

• balancing out the gut microbiome
• antifungals to kill off the overgrowth
• food allergy elimination
• enzymes to help digestions
• prebiotics & probiotics to re-inoculate the gut
• temporary or more permanent dietary modifications
• high quality targeted supplements to give the gut the raw materials to heal
• iv therapies to speed healing
• thermal heat treatments
• ozone therapy to speed the kill off of any bad bugs, microbes, etc.
• treating and healing an autoimmunity
• resolving any hidden infections, etc. that would have triggered the autoimmunity
• detoxifying any heavy metals, toxins, or chemicals
• HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy) to speed healing
• PEMF to speed healing

Clearwater & Tampa’s Best IBS Doctor

LifeWorks Wellness Center is one of the top integrative and natural health clinics in the US. For more than 25 years, we’ve offered effective natural IBS treatment. Many patients fly in from all over the world to resolve their irritable bowel syndrome once and for all at our clinic.