# IBS Volunteers Wanted



## Graeme (Sep 28, 2011)

Irritable Bowel SyndromeIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder of the intestines and bowel (the gut). The cause is not known. Symptoms can be quite variable and include abdominal pain, bloating, and sometimes bouts of diarrhoea and/or constipation. Symptoms tend to come and go. It is a chronic, relapsing and, often, lifelong disorder. There is currently no cure for IBS, but symptoms may be eased with some treatments.People with IBS present with varying symptom profiles, most commonly 'diarrhoea predominant', 'constipation predominant´ or alternating symptom profiles. In the general population of the UK and the USA the incidence is between 10% and 20% and it most often affects people in the age group 20 to 30. However, recent trends indicate that there is also a significant presence of IBS in older people. The condition is twice as common in women as it is in men. In IBS, the function of the gut is upset, but all parts of the gut look normal, even when looked at under a microscope. IBS causes varying symptoms that may include pain and discomfort occurring in different parts of the abdomen. Pain usually comes and goes. The length of each bout of pain can vary greatly. The pain often eases on passing stools (motions or faeces) or wind. Many people with IBS describe the pain as a spasm or colic. The severity of the pain can vary from mild to severe, both from person to person, and from time to time in the same person.Many of the problems are associated with defecation and abdominal distension. Bloating and swelling of the abdomen may develop from time to time. Passing excess wind is common. Sometimes the stools become small and pellet-like. They can also be watery or ribbony. At times, mucus may be mixed with the stools. It has also been reported that there is a feeling of not emptying the rectum after going to the toilet. Some people have urgency, which means you have to get to the toilet quickly. A morning rush is common.Other symptoms occur, including nausea (feeling sick), headache, belching, poor appetite, tiredness, backache, muscle pains, feeling quickly full after eating, heartburn, and bladder symptoms (an associated irritable bladder). Many people have flare-ups of symptoms periodically being pain free at other times.There is no test that confirms the diagnosis of IBS. Diagnose of IBS is determined by the typical symptoms. A blood sample is often taken to help rule out other conditions such as ulcers, colitis, celiac disease, gut infections, etc. The symptoms of these other diseases can sometimes be confused with IBS. In these cases, the medical practitioner may order investigations to eliminate diagnosable disorders including: i)	Full blood count (FBC) - to rule out anaemia, which is associated with various gut disorders. ii)	Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) or C-reactive protein (CRP) - which can show if there is inflammation in the body (which does not occur with IBS). iii)	Antibody testing for celiac disease.More complicated tests such as endoscopy of the bowel are not usually needed. However, they may be done if symptoms are not typical, or if you develop symptoms of IBS in later life (over the age of about 45) when other conditions need to be ruled out. Any bleeding from the rectum requires medical investigation as soon as possible. IBS does not shorten your expected lifespan, it does not lead to cancer of the bowel, and does not cause blockages of the gut, or other serious conditions.The cause of IBS has not previously been identified. It would appear to be a reaction to over activity of part or parts of the gut. Food is passed along the gut by regular contractions (about every five minutes) of the muscles in the wall of the gut. Pain and other symptoms may develop if the contractions become abnormal or overactive. The site of the over activity in the gut may determine whether constipation or diarrhoea develops.IBS is not caused by an ongoing gut infection. However, in about 1 in 6 cases, the onset of symptoms seems to follow a bout of gastroenteritis (a gut infection which can cause diarrhoea and vomiting). So, perhaps a virus or other germ may sensitise or trigger the gut in some way to cause persisting symptoms of IBS. Also, in some cases, symptoms get worse after taking a course of antibiotics.In most people with IBS, the condition tends to persist long-term. However, the severity of symptoms tends to wax and wane there may be long periods of time without any symptoms, or with only mild symptoms. In a minority of cases, symptoms clear for good at some stage.What is clear about IBS is that it is associated with various stresses which occur in modern societies. This may be emotional stress or worry, stress on the gut from necessary medication, stress from infection sometimes causing gastroenteritis, dietary stress including a poor or unvaried diet, or alcohol, or temperature stress, such as getting excessively cold, or any combination of these.The question is - why does the gut not return to its normal healthy habituation once these stresses have ceased? To get a clue to what is happening we can look at the effect of these kinds of stresses on other parts of the body. In 2003, Warren Ward, the leading biological researcher working with ActiveSignal Ltd in the UK, identified for the first time a basic fundamental human biological mechanism of the body that occurred in times of stress or adverse habituation.He identified the fact that the human body always has one immediate response to stress, and that is to conserve, or "lock up", electrolytes. Normally, once the stress has ceased then the electrolytes are released, but if the stress continues for some time the "locking up" becomes semi-permanent. This mechanism is found in no other animal except equines (horses, see www.equiwinner.com).The locking up affects two functions of the gut. One is the liquid output into the gut which is essential for proper digestion and which protects the surfaces of the gut from the digestive activity going on within it. This watery liquid must contain the correct balance of electrolytes and anti-microbial peptides. When the this balance is upset by inappropriate conservation, or locking up, of electrolytes then the mucus liquid cannot properly protect the inner surface of the gut and so the passage of food and the products of digestion cause irritation to the surface. The result of the immune reaction to this irritation can be either that the mucus ceases to flow, causing constipation, or considerably increases the flow, causing diarrhoea.The second function of the gut that is affected by lack of the proper balance of electrolytes is called peristalsis - the involuntary constriction and relaxation of the muscles of the intestine, creating wavelike movements that push the contents of the gut forward. The muscles of the gut require millions of electrolyte ions per second for the nerves which control this normally co-ordinated movement to operate correctly. When the ions are not fully available, due to electrolyte lock-up, the movements are not co-ordinated and the resulting conflict causes spasm and pain.Warren´s research lead to the development of Smart Cell Signal™ technology which enables the delivery of a signalling medium to the body which provides it with assurance that there is an abundance of electrolytes available and that there is no need for the body to conserve electrolytes inappropriately. This medium takes the form of a small capsule containing minute quantities of electrolytes which are 'locked in' so that they cannot be digested. These pass through the body once every twenty-four hours and have the effect of allowing each individual cell in the body to detect and react to millions of electrolyte atoms every second. This activity eventually causes the body to restore normal homeostasis and the problems associated with imbalance are eliminated, usually for the longer term.Because nothing passes from the capsule to the body other than electrical signals it is wholly safe and cannot cause side effects. The body will ignore a signal that it is not programmed to receive and it will also ignore and reject large quantities of electrolytes, even if they are wanted. This is why the capsules are designed to operate at a microscopic level, the same size as elements in the individual cells. As the capsules contain fully approved supplements, and no drugs of any kind, they can be supplied as food supplements.As part of our ongoing research program, ActiveSignal is making courses of capsules available to a limited number of people with IBS, free of charge. Please contact me by email to [email protected] if you would like to participate. We do want these to reach only those in genuine need, so it may be necessary for our researchers to telephone any applicant for additional information.


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