By Alberto Martinez
Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic functional disorder of the intestines which causes abdominal pain, often accompanied by cramping, bloating, diarrhea and constipation. It is also referred to as spastic colon or mucous colitis. Irritable bowel syndrome is more commonly known by its abbreviated term - IBS.
There are three forms of IBS depending on the symptoms — diarrhea-predominant (IBS-D), constipation-predominant (IBS-C) and IBS with alternating stool pattern (IBS-A). Clinical investigations are going on a new IBS subtype, post-infectious IBS (IBS-PI).
Symptoms of IBS
IBS symptoms include:
Abdominal pain
Discomfort associated with changes in bowel habits
Fewer than three bowel movements a week
More than three bowel movements a day
Hard or lumpy stools
Loose or watery stools
Straining during a bowel movement
Urgency (having to rush to have a bowel movement)
Feeling of incomplete bowel movement
Passing mucus (white material) during a bowel movement
Abdominal fullness, bloating, or swelling
Chronic pelvic pain
Mental stress
Fibromyalgia and various mental disorders
Researchers believe that there are neurological and psychological disorders associated with IBS.
Causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
The exact causes of irritable bowel syndrome are unknown, but there are factors that may aggravate the trouble. Dietary factors and stress don’t exactly cause IBS, but they can aggravate it. Various studies and researches have noted an IBS connection to diet. Physicians feel that the correct diet can provide IBS relief.
Common IBS diet advice includes:
Eat soluble fiber foods and supplements.
Substitute dairy products for soy or rice products.
Be careful with fresh fruits and vegetables that are high in insoluble fiber.
Eat small amounts in regular intervals to lessen the symptoms of IBS.
Avoid eating red meat, oily or fatty (and fried) products.
Avoid taking dairy products (especially when lactose intolerance is suspected).
Avoid solid chocolate, coffee (regular and decaffeinated), alcohol, carbonated beverages and artificial sweeteners.
IBS Treatment
IBS treatment includes dietary advice and medication. Developing good dietary habits may be the best treatment for irritable bowel syndrome.
Medications can provide instant IBS relief. These may include stool softeners and laxatives in constipation-predominant, and antidiarrheal (loperamide) in diarrhea-predominant IBS. The low dosage of tricyclic and SSRI antidepressants has shown to be the most widely prescribed medications for helping to relieve symptoms of visceral sensitivity (pain) and diarrhea or constipation respectively. Other medications include:
Alosetron: Alosetron is a selective 5-HT3 antagonist for IBS-D. It is only available for women in the United States under a restricted access program, due to severe risks of side effects if taken mistakenly by IBS-A or IBS-C sufferers.
Cilansetron: Cilansetron is also a selective 5-HT3 antagonist that is undergoing further clinical studies in Europe for IBS-D sufferers.
Tegaserod: Tegaserod is a selective 5-HT4 antagonist for IBS-C. It has shown to have an excellent safety profile for relieving IBS constipation and chronic idiopathic constipation.
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Is Your Medium Sized Dog Hypoallergenic?
By Alfred Hernandez
Do you love dogs, but have allergies? If you have a smaller home, a medium sized hypoallergenic dog might be perfect. Hypoallergenic dogs have a tendency to create less allergic reactions because of an absence of fur or a very low amount compared to most pets. There are a few breeds that fit into the criteria. The Spanish Water Dog, the Bouvier des Flandres, and the Mexican Hairless are all medium sized, hypoallergenic dogs that work great for families and singles alike.
If big, friendly, shaggy dogs are your thing, the Spanish Water Dog is a good fit. They resemble the sheep dog on the Warner Brothers’ Looney Tunes cartoons. The dogs live for playing, swimming and even working. When acclimated correctly, the Spanish Water Dog is a great playmate for children. If you have a pool or live near an ocean or lake, the Spanish Water Dog lives true to its name. They love swimming. As for the work aspect, these dogs have natural herding instincts and are excellent guard dogs. These dogs do require a lot of attention, so be ready for that. They must be exposed to other dogs and/or children between the ages of two to twelve months if they are to fully accept being around them, otherwise they can become aloof or guarded around them.
The Bouvier des Flandres also fits into the hypoallergenic shaggy dog category. This strong built breed is traditionally used for hard work such as cattle and sheep herding, pulling carts, and police or guard dog work. Along with their strong work abilities, they are generally gentle and protective of their adopted families. Even former United States President, Ronald Regan, chose this breed for a pet. Their thicker hair makes them great dogs for outdoor work and play in colder climates. Be ready to take care of the Bouvier des Flandres if one is added to your home. Maintenance on these dogs thick hair (not fur) does require brushing weekly and visits for a trim every six to eight weeks. This dog can be prone to both voluvus and bloat syndromes because of their deep chests. They can also be very strong-willed and intimidating animals when they feel strongly about something, especially when going after cats. Proper discipline is a must when owning a Bouvier.
The Mexican Hairless, also known as the Xoloitzcuintle or Xolo, is an extremely rare breed of dog. They range in weight anywhere from ten to fifty pounds and are almost always completely devoid of hair; they resemble dogs seen in Egyptian Hieroglyphics. Some of the Xolos do sport a very thin coat of hair or have various amounts of hair on their heads or bodies. They have been bred for over 4000 years in Mesoamerica (between central Mexico and Costa Rica). Although not recognized by the American Kennel Club, the Mexican equivalent does recognize this breed. The dogs are hard to find in Mexico and even harder to find in the US because they were considered next to extinct prior to the 1950’s.
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All about nutrition for athletes
By Ortes Bewen
A lot of people who want to look good and be healthy, pay part of their time in sports, knowing how notable is physical activity to maintain themselves in good shape. For loads of people the sport has become something more than a certain set of physical exercises, such people are sincerely taken a huge interest in sports and like to achieve good end results there. However, as is known, in order to be turn out well in any business, it obliges organized approach, one only desire would not be enough. And so in sports - to truly achieve something, you must create optimal conditions for your sport. For example, each athlete must be aware of the special sports nutrition. As you know, athletes must thoroughly monitor their weight, monitor, so it does not become more or less than the established framework. To do this, hunt a special diet. However, physical activity in sport is very high, during exercise athletes spend a lot of power, which then need to fill with cooking, or a person simply does not have the strength to prolong intensive training. At the same time, many products are banned, otherwise the body will be an increase in adipose tissue rather than muscle mass. In order to somehow solve this dilemma, it is developed a particular sports nutrition - a set of all possible biological additives, which are sources of energy, so needed to athletes. Among the assortments of sports nutrition the most popular are
weight gainer, L-carnitine, and so on. All elements have their purpose. Thus, gainers help to build muscle mass in the shortest possible time thanks to high content of protein. Weight loss, if it is not tricky to guess, maintain your weight within normal limits, as well as provide an opportunity to quickly lose weight (for example, before an eminent competition). Nowadays, it is not quite difficult to find treadmills, etc. The most common dietary supplements can be bought in many sports stores, still, the widest range of sports nutrition can be found in specialized shops. This is where you can get Protein Zero Carb Protein and other required products.
