Irritable Bowel Syndrome is one of the most common reasons for visits to primary care physicians, gastrologist, or Ayurveda Consultant Doctors.
There are a lot of issues to people suffering from IBS and on a daily basis, its symptoms can affect their quality of life immensely. Let's see what Ayurveda has to say about the effects of IBS and how they can be mitigated to give long-lasting relief.
Studies show that women are twice as likely as men to get Irritable bowel Syndrome. There are a few things you can do to increase your chances of having the disease.
Family history of IBS disease.
A stressful Lifestyle or difficult or emotional conditions in life can trigger IBS symptoms
Frequent or serious digestive tract infection
View of Ayurveda about IBS( Irritable Bowel Syndrome)?
The condition of IBS is called “GRAHANI” in Ayurveda.
The ancient science of Ayurveda states that the Jatharagni (Digestive fire) is responsible for breaking down food into energy and nutrition. The food goes onto the next stage of digestion from the various digestive organs when digestion is complete. If the person is not able to digest the food easily, it means that his/her digestion is weak or that the fire element "Agni" is weak. The treatment and reduction of Ama is the first step in the treatment for Irritable bowel syndrome. The doshas are brought into balance through this process.
Grahani Or IBS can be found majorly into four major types based on bowel habits:
Constipation predominant Grahani/IBS (Vataja)
Diarrhea predominant Grahani/IBS (Pittaja)
Dysentery predominant Grahani/IBS (Kaphaja)
combination of all the above symptoms (Tridoshaja)
Symptoms of IBS ( Irritable Bowel Syndrome):
Experiencing Irregular Bowel habits such as alternating diarrhea and constipation, improper digestion, and undigested food particles passing in motion.
Constant urge of motion immediately after meals.
abdominal pain.
abdominal Distension or enlargement
Nausea and Bloating in the abdomen
Frequent urge for passing stool with a sensation of incomplete evacuation.
Burning in chest abdomen, Chest pain, and dysphagia.
· There are a few other symptoms that can be faced which include fatigue, headaches, anxiety, depression, and even urologic and gynecologic symptoms.
Causes of IBS / GRAHANI :
· Consumption of heavy fried food, overeating,
· consumption of food that is bad for your gut,
· consumption of too many fluids and cold food are all examples of poor diet and nutrition.
· Skipping meals when hungry, eating food at the wrong time, or skipping meals can be problematic.
· There are a few underlying conditions that include an imbalance in the nervous system, abnormal gut motor, and sensory activity.
· The process of circulation can be affected by the presence of toxins in tissues.
· Irregular and disrupted natural biological rhythm can be reduced by any sort of physical and mental stress.
Ayurvedic Management of IBS
: Important steps
First, treat the Ama (or toxins)
According to Ayurveda Food is converted into en
ergy and nutrition with the help of the Digestive fire or Jatharagni. When you eat food, the food is held in the duodenum until it gets completely Digested by Jatharagni. The food goes onto the next stage of digestion when its digestion in the duodenum is complete. If the food isn't fully digested you may feel some symptoms like bloating, gases, reflux. This could be a sign that your Agni is not strong. Your body may develop Ama, or toxins, as a result of incomplete digestion. The build-up of toxins in the body may be the cause of the symptoms of Irritable bowel Syndrome. That is the reason for the first step of treating IBS is the treatment of the Ama. You treat the doshas after that.
Then balance the
three doshas
You may be able to see improvements in your symptoms in a matter of days with these treatments. It is possible that it will take an extended period of time to treat the problem properly. The equilibrium of all three doshas must be balanced before you can feel restored.
Ayurveda is the safest and most reliable holistic way of treatment for IBS. Ayurveda actually helps mitigate the adverse symptoms in a natural way. Here are few steps of IBS treatment that can help.
Agnidipana
The regulation of the fire in the stomach is involved in this process. Reducing ama from the GI tract is one of the ways this is treated. It is possible to reduce Ama with the help of digestive herbs and some potent ayurvedic ingredients.
Vatanulomana
Vata dosha can be corrected and balanced in this process. Some medicines which mildly improve and control intestinal movements are used in this step.
Manonukulata
When people experience a stressor in their life or are undergoing psychological issues in their life, it can cause the condition of Irritable bowel syndrome to Flare-up. This treatment involves relaxing and treatment of the underlying issues.
Shodhan
Shodhan is a process of removing toxins from the body. The conversion of any poisonous drug into beneficial, nonpoisonous/nontoxic elements takes place.
Shaman
The body is rejuvenated by using shamana to treat and eliminate any impurities that remain after detoxification. It's a healing treatment in the ancient Indian system of medicine. The purpose of this therapy is to restore the balance of the body after the process of detoxification has taken place.
Nidana Parivarajana
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a restricted diet, yoga and meditation is the process of this process.
Panchkarma
The therapy includes Bast or enemas that can help cleanse the colon and provide sustenance to the colon, which is what Panchakarma is about.
Panchakarma therapy for IBS might include
Abhyanga (therapeutic massage with ayurvedic oils)
Shirodhara (warm oil therapy on forehead)
Also Read : Chikungunya: Ayurveda has a best Cure
Ayurvedic Health tips to manage IBS:
· The intake of fried foods, processed foods, meats, oil, dairy foods, and other fatty foods should be reduced. These food items can cause your colon to contract symptoms of IBS like Diarrhea etc in a sudden and unexplained manner.
One should avoid eating spicy foods which can make your large intestine go into spasms and thus cause diarrhea.
· It's possible to prevent the disease by taking more soluble fibers. Beans, oatmeal, apples, strawberries and grapes are some of the sources of this that are readily available.
· Water intake can obstruct the flow of food in the tract if you don't drink enough water. It's a good idea to avoid taking water while eating. One hour before and 1 hour after your meals is a good time to drink water.
Use buttermilk or any kind of probiotic food.
Include aged rice, jowar, buttermilk in the diet.
· Gourds, Coriander leaves, lentils, and grams soup are vegetables that you can eat.
Some useful kitchen herbs like black pepper, dried ginger, garlic, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, clove, bay leaf, and fenugreek can help in IBS because of their healing properties. Kutaj an ayurvedic herb can be used in various forms. Bilva is another useful herb that can be used in the case of loose motions in IBS.
· Sound sleep is an important part of your digestion and overall health.
Lifestyle Modifications recommended for treatment of IBS:
Increase intake of dietary fiber in your diet.
Include probiotic foods like curd, buttermilk, etc.
· Identifying and removing food intolerances can be different from person to person.
Physical and psychological stress levels should be managed to treat IBS.
· Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is something that should be focused on.
· You can maximize your health benefits by learning to eat the right food and preparing to combine it properly. It is recommended to eat according to the Prakriti of the individual. This simply means that you can follow a diet that is suitable for your body type, and according to your Prakriti. Take cleaned ginger, dried senna, and with a dash of cumin seeds, and grind them, use half teaspoon twice daily with warm water.
· The passage of food through the gut can be improved by relaxing the muscles of the gut with the help of mint oil.
· Aloe vera can be used for the treatment of symptoms of IBS. Many of the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome can be alleviated with the help of the anti-inflammatory properties of Aloe Vera.
Important Yoga poses (Yoagasna) helpful to treat IBS:
Here are some of the Yoga poses that you can try doing daily and these can help you give long-term relief.
Dhanurasana (Bow pose)
Pavana-muktasana (Wind-relieving pose)
Marjariasana (Cat pose)
Adho-Mukha shvanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)
Ardha-matsyendra-asana (Sitting Half-Spinal twist)
Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
To Sum up
More people have been affected by Irritable Bowel Syndrome than we can imagine. Stress and unhealthy lifestyle conditions are the most prominent reasons for this. We have talked about various tips and therapies that can help you immensely. These are natural and do not create any side effects of their own. It is highly recommended that you consult an expert Ayurvedic Doctor before beginning your treatment.
Dr.Yogesh Chavn,MD(Ayu.Kerala) has managed many patients of IBS with Ayurvedic Treatment for IBS. He has gained vast experience in IBS treatment.
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