Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable bowel syndrome is a bowel condition affecting over ten million people in Germany — predominantly women. In fact, half of all patients with gastrointestinal complaints suffer from this disorder. However, holistic therapy can effectively alleviate symptoms such as bloating or diarrhoea. Our experienced doctors are by your side in the treatment of your irritable bowel syndrome at all our locations.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a so-called diagnosis of exclusion. This means it is only made once any other possible underlying condition (such as bowel cancer) has been ruled out. For a reliable diagnosis, the symptoms must also have persisted for at least three months.

The complete pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome has not yet been fully established. However, among the clearly demonstrable triggers of this bowel disorder is stress, which activates the sympathetic nervous system (a part of the autonomic nervous system). This subsequently triggers the diarrhoea characteristic of irritable bowel syndrome.

This symptom represents accelerated intestinal transit, during which the stool has insufficient time to thicken and consequently leaves the body in liquid form. An evolutionary process designed to expel toxic substances from the body as quickly as possible. In patients with irritable bowel syndrome, however, the sympathetic nervous system responds under stress even to harmless foods.

Typical symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome include:

• Non-specific pain, usually distributed across the entire abdomen
• Feeling of fullness with bloating (particularly after meals)
• Urge to defecate with diarrhoea. Sometimes also as, or in combination with, an "irritable stomach" — a feeling of fullness with pain in the upper abdomen

Holistic treatment of your irritable bowel syndrome begins with diagnostics. This includes the following measures:

• Taking a comprehensive medical history
• Blood tests
• Stool examination if indicated
• Abdominal ultrasound

This is followed by targeted therapy to alleviate your symptoms. For us at avi, this encompasses:

• Relaxation techniques such as autogenic training
• Dietary changes if appropriate
• Administration of beneficial bacteria to support the bowel if appropriate (bifidobacteria or specific yeasts)
• Herbal support through peppermint or caraway oils
• In exceptional cases with severe symptoms: antispasmodic medications