IBS Root Cause Reversal: The Questions Every IBS Patient Should Ask Their Doctor

Stop Managing IBS Symptoms. Start Healing the Root Cause 

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), once thought to be a rare cause of digestive discomfort in a few people, now stands as one of the leading chronic gastrointestinal diseases in practice today. Millions of individuals worldwide now suffer from IBS. IBS patients experience persistent bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, acidity, excessive gas, incomplete bowel movements and unpredictable bowel patterns, all of which can greatly affect someone's physical comfort, emotional well-being, overall productivity and quality of life. For many IBS sufferers, this condition becomes an ongoing battle; they frequently begin using medications repetitively, restrict their diets, and feel pressure due to stress and fear of their “symptoms” returning.

The largest barrier to successfully managing IBS patients’ symptoms is the current method of treating IBS symptoms. Most of the current treatments available in the medical field concentrate on symptom relief without discovering true mechanically viable root causes of IBS. As a result of this focus on short-term "comfort", many IBS patients have taken several courses of treatment, made corresponding dietary modifications, and continue to suffer for years. The continued suffering of IBS patients has led to increased consciousness and awareness of the need for a more holistic and mechanistically rooted approach to digestive healing and long-term restoration of the gut.

IBS is a disorder that has many different causes, including digestive problems, imbalances in the gut and food intolerances; stress-related issues; disturbed sleeping habits; irregular eating patterns; and issues with the gut-brain connection. 

Ayurveda classifies IBS as a problem with your “digestive fire” or Agni, along with an imbalance between the Tridosha, which causes you to assimilate food poorly and experience sensitivity in the intestines. To properly manage IBS, it will take more than just relieving symptoms—you need to look at what affects the way you digest food; your lifestyle; your stress level; your dietary triggers; and the overall balance of your body. 

The purpose of this blog is to provide important questions for every person with IBS to ask their physician about their disorder so they can understand their disorder better and approach treatment from a more individualised long-term perspective to restore their natural health through restoring digestion.

Patients need to understand that asking the right questions is just as important as receiving the correct medicine before they start any form of treatment for IBS. There are many different elements that can lead to an individual developing IBS as the result of a complex interaction of the digestive system, diet, stress, lifestyle, sleep, and gut health. This means that a generalised one-size-fits-all treatment approach will probably not be effective for everyone. As a result, a lot of patients are unable to manage their symptoms and continue to fail because, with their current focus on simply relieving their discomfort in the short term, their emphasis is entirely on symptom relief, and they are often unaware of the underlying factors leading to their first symptoms or recurrences of the same digestive problems. 

If you want to have a better understanding of your condition, be sure you go over the following types of questions with your physician, as they may help you identify potential triggers and develop a plan that includes more personalised treatments that are longer lasting to help you manage your IBS.

What Is the Actual Root Cause Behind My IBS? 

IBS patients should ask their healthcare provider whether the treatment is focused on symptom relief alone or perhaps also addressing the true cause of the disorder. For example, many patients take prescription medications for years to relieve symptoms such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, or abdominal pain without ever knowing what causes their symptoms to return again and again. IBS is a complex gastrointestinal (GI) disorder caused by many internal and external influences and is much greater than simply a disorder of the stomach. 

There are multiple contributors to the progression of IBS, including poor digestion, food intolerances, imbalance of the gut microbiome, stress, lack of adequate sleep, irregular eating habits, and lack of physical activity. Ayurvedic teachings correlate these symptoms of IBS with an imbalance in Vata and Pitta doshas, which leads to an inability of the digestive system to function properly and affects how much you can digest. The cause must be identified in order for a patient to achieve long-term healing or to have permanent resolution of IBS, rather than temporary symptom relief.

Why Do My IBS Symptoms Keep Returning Despite Treatment? 

Patients suffering from IBS may see some short-term improvement through medications, but recurring episodes frequently follow weeks or months after initial treatment. Treatment typically focuses on relief of symptoms rather than treatment of the underlying digestive disorder, which often contributes to the issue recurring. Patients should ask their doctor for reasons for recurrent symptoms & if other variables such as stress, foods consumed, insufficient gut health, & lifestyle habits could all be contributing to their inability to return to normal bowel function. Relapsing bowel symptoms could indicate an inability to restore normal digestive function. Understanding reasons for relapsing symptoms could lead to the development of a comprehensive management plan, which includes healing your gut longer term. 

Which Foods Are Triggering My IBS Symptoms? 

Food choices significantly impact a person's IBS; therefore, patients may have different types of trigger foods, such as wrong meal timing, food allergies (such as dairy or gluten/wheat), or certain cooking methods (i.e., frying foods too hot). Knowing if any of these causes trigger a patient’s symptoms will give the patient insight into how food affects their overall digestive health and bowel habits, and will help build a custom dietary plan which will improve digestive conditions such as bloating, gas, abdominal pain, and irregular bowel movements for the patient. Also, ask your physician if there would be any benefit to following low-FODMAP or Ayurvedic dietary principles or developing a guided meal program designed for digestive comfort on an ongoing basis.

Is Stress or Anxiety Making My IBS Worse?

In IBS patients, there is a very close association between their brain and their gut. Stress, anxiety, overthinking, lack of sleep and mental fatigue all have a direct relationship with digestion and bowel movements. Many patients report having worsening symptoms during stressful times, travelling, at work or during any type of emotional disturbance. Patients should talk to their doctor to see if managing stress is appropriate for their IBS treatment plan. Stress management may include use of Yoga, meditation, breathing techniques, correcting sleep and relaxation therapies like shirodhara, abhyangam, thalam, lepam, etc., that can assist with regulating the gut-brain axis and naturally decrease flare-ups in the digestive tract.

Do I Have IBS or Another Digestive Disorder? 

Many different digestive disorders exhibit symptoms similar to those of IBS, with examples including but not limited to inflammatory bowel diseases, food intolerances, celiac disease, gastrointestinal infections, acid reflux, and lactose intolerance. Patients need to enquire about the possibility of requiring additional evaluation or tests to determine whether they have been accurately diagnosed and to rule out any other gastrointestinal disorders. Furthermore, warning signs of potentially serious health conditions should always be considered – including blood in the stool, recent unexplained weight loss, extreme fatigue, chronic fever, and anemia. When a diagnosis is made accurately, it creates a basis for providing the best treatment possible.

Can Lifestyle and Sleep Affect My IBS Symptoms? 

Lifestyle factors such as sleep patterns, late-night food consumption, and exercise are something that many people with IBS either overlook or do not understand the impact it can have on their digestive system. Both irregular eating and sleep schedules, along with minimal exercise, too much screen time, and the lack of a consistent daily schedule, can greatly disrupt digestion and bowel function. Ayurveda views a person’s daily routine as critical to establishing digestive stability. Patients need to ask their physician about how making small changes to their lifestyle can help heal the gut. Making small changes to one’s meal schedule, sleep quality, drinking enough water and exercising will often lead to significant changes in reducing symptoms and improving bowel function.

Do I Need a Personalized Long-Term IBS Healing Plan? 

Patients diagnosed with IBS may experience a variety of symptoms, ranging from constipation (IBS-C) to diarrhea (IBS-D) to a combination of both, as well as gas, bloating, and abdominal pain. Because IBS symptoms can vary from patient to patient, treatment for IBS should be individualized as well. Patients should ask their doctor if their treatment plan includes dietary changes, digestive aid products, stress management, lifestyle changes, and ongoing follow-up care. A customized treatment approach will provide patients with a much greater chance of achieving long-term success than using medications based solely on symptom relief. With regard to patients who want to find a permanent solution for their IBS through natural methods of restoring digestive balance, an individualized approach will be very beneficial. At Yukti Herbs, experts prepare a personalized IBS Reversal treatment plan that works for you.

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