How to Improve Your Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

[00:00:00] Hi and welcome to the fourth video in this serious un-gut health and fertility. My name is Katrin and I'm an expert in gut and digestive disorders. In this video we will be focusing on irritable bowel syndrome, commonly known as IBIS. It is a very common syndrome that affects around 10-15% of the population. It is a very common syndrome that affects around 10-15% of the population. The diagnosis of IBIS is primarily a diagnosis of exclusion and what does that mean. [00:00:38] So it means that it is typically given after other potential causes of your symptoms have been ruled out. It is also a condition that you cannot get any help with in the public health care system because you need to work on diet and lifestyle. IBIS is a functional disorder that primarily affects the large intestine and IBIS is a functional disorder that primarily affects the large intestine and [00:01:04] can cause a range of uncomfortable symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, const ipation and diarrhea. It can significantly impact your quality of life and for some it may also affect fertility. There are three main types of IBIS. The first one is IBIS-C, where C stands for constipation. [00:01:26] The first one is IBIS-C, where C stands for constipation. This type is characterized by hard difficulty to pass stools and infrequent bowel movements. The next one is IBIS-D for diarrhea and this type involves frequent loose or watery stools. And finally there is IBIS-M-M for mixed. So this type features alternating symptoms of both constipation and diarrhea. So this type features alternating symptoms of both constipation and diarrhea. [00:02:02] Understanding which type of IBIS you have is crucial for trying to understand the underlying cause and for managing your symptoms effectively. If you want to know more about how to manage symptoms of constipation, bloating and diarrhea, then go back in what's video 3 where I go through this. So IBIS symptoms can vary from person to person but some common symptoms So IBIS symptoms can vary from person to person but some common symptoms [00:02:34] include abdominal pain or cramping, bloating and gas, diarrhea, constipation or alternating between these two, changes in stool consistency and frequency, not feeling empty after going to the toilet, muckus in the stool, fatigue, headache and joint pain. muckus in the stool, fatigue, headache and joint pain. Staying with IBIS can be challenging and it can affect various aspects of your [00:03:07] daily life. Like chronic pain, bloating and irregular bowel movements can lead to physical discomfort and fatigue. Dietary restrictions. Managing IBIS often involves avoiding certain foods which can be restrictive and impact [00:03:28] social activities. social activities. Emotional stress. The unpredictable nature of IBIS symptoms can cause anxiety and stress which can make the condition even worse. Work and social life. So frequent bathroom visits and discomfort can interfere with work productivity [00:03:55] and also social engagements. And then also mental and physical health. And then also mental and physical health. So IBIS can also affect your overall health by disrupting for instance nutrient absorption and leading to deficiencies and impacting mental health due to the chronic stress and [00:04:16] discomfort. Which suggests that IBIS can impact fertility in several ways although the exact relationship is not fully understood. is not fully understood. But here are some possible connections. First of all chronic inflammation associated with IBIS can affect hormone balance and reproductive [00:04:41] health. Then IBIS can interfere with absorption of essential nutrients which are crucial for the reproductive health. This biosis which is an imbalance of the gut microbiota and this is quite