Digestive system diseases and conditions can be some of the most difficult health issues to have to cope with. Besides the abdominal pain that almost always appears in these kinds of conditions, there is also the inability to truly enjoy food or even consume it properly. For these reasons alone, treatment and prevention are vital in making sure that the person who is being affected by these problems. Most people do not enjoy the side effects that come with certain medications. Often times, patients realize that they are only blocking some of the symptoms associated with their condition but not all of them. This will often lead to the individual looking for alternative treatment options.

Recently, many people have talked about CBD and it's benefits towards Irritable Bowel Syndrome and even Crohn's Disease. Although there isn't word from the FDA about this, we found out Cannabidiol might be beneficial from what users and customers were reporting to us.

If you are curious as to whether or not CBD could potentially help you reduce the severity of your IBS symptoms, continue reading below to learn more about the possible help it can provide.

WHAT IS IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME?

IBS or irritable bowel syndrome, is a very common digestive disorder that has an impact on the large intestine. Those suffering from IBS have an issue digesting food. Due to this, they are not able to get the nutrients that they need in order to keep their body healthy and strong. Many of those who have IBS have manageable forms of the disorder that doesn’t prevent them from completely living their lives and maintaining a normal lifestyle.

However, there are some who have severe symptoms that require constant care in order to maintain a decent quality of life. IBS is an umbrella term that refers to many different kinds of conditions that fall into this category and while there is no cure for these types of disorders. There are certainly treatment plans that will help the patient to cope as they go through cycles of flare-ups and remission.  

How Do You Get it?

While there may be several reasons why a person may develop IBS, there is no known or definitive cause. However, these may be some of the factors that play a role in the development of the digestive disorder.

·         A change in the contractions of the muscles in the digestive system. If it's too strong, it can cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea, and if it's too weak, it can cause constipation and dry, hard waste.

·         An abnormality in the nervous system that causes a miscommunication between your brain and the nerve endings in your digestive system. This results in your digestive overreacting to signals and causing issues such as diarrhea, pain, or constipation.

·         Inflammation caused by an increase of immune-system cells in the digestive system that attack the healthy cells, resulting in pain and diarrhea.

·         Some say that IBS can develop after a severe infection takes place such as that of gastroenteritis in which bacteria or a virus causes a severe case of diarrhea. In addition, some speculate that IBS could be triggered by too bacteria growth in the intestines.

·         Inside of the gut, there are helpful bacteria known as microflora. In those with IBS, it has been said that the beneficial bacteria could be different than that found in those without IBS.

While we don’t know for sure why some people suffer from IBS and others do not, the causes listed above could be some of the reasons why certain individuals develop IBS and others do not.

Symptoms of IBS

IBS comes with several uncomfortable symptoms and we will note some of the most common symptoms found in those suffering from the disorder below.

Inflammation

Inflammation is one of the main symptoms that contribute to other symptoms found in IBS. For many of those suffering from this disorder, inflammation results in pain and agitates the lining of the digestive system. This causes other issues that make it near impossible to properly digest the food that you consume regularly. This is because your intestines are dealing with too much irritation to absorb the nutrients. Overall, this inflammation has a major impact on the digestive system as a whole.

Diarrhea

Those with IBS cannot properly digest their food. As a result, the irritation or the problem with nerve receptors could result in a change in consistency of the stool. This results in the stool being pushed through the system too fast, which means that those suffering from the disorder may have frequent diarrhea. While occasional diarrhea is not too much of an issue, frequent diarrhea can cause problems such as dehydration as well as the next symptom on this list.

Weight Loss

Irritable bowel syndrome is painful and makes it near impossible to get what you need out of your food. Continuing off of the first point, those who have painful bowel movements and regular discomfort can be deterred from even wanting to eat in order to avoid symptoms, resulting in weight loss. In addition, weight loss may be a symptom of frequent diarrhea as the body isn’t getting any benefits from the food that you are consuming. If left unchecked, weight loss could prove to be problematic as the user continues to lose weight at a rapid pace.

Anxiety/Panic

There is a link between gut health and mental health. When the gut is healthy, the mind is health and vice versa. When the gut is unhealthy or the mind is unhealthy, however, the opposite appears to be true. This means that those who are suffering from IBS are also likely to deal with mental health issues such as anxiety. In addition, this anxiety and stress fuel some of the symptoms of the disorder, creating a vicious cycle of stress and IBS flare-ups.

How the Endocannabinoid System Effects IBS

Although the CBD industry is continually growing due to the increasing interest in the natural substance, there is still little research to back up many of the claims being made by those who sell CBD. However, we can examine what we do know: the endocannabinoid system.

The endocannabinoid system is a system of receptors located throughout the entirety of the body that is designed to achieve homeostasis. This means that they regulate and ensure balance in all of the body’s processes. In order to make this happen, the body produces its own chemical compounds known as endocannabinoids to react with the receptors and produce the desired effects. It is said that those with IBS have a dysfunctional endocannabinoid system as a result of the disorder. This can overwhelm the system and throw the endocannabinoid out of whack, meaning that it cannot do its job. In theory, the introduction of external cannabinoids such as CBD would help the endocannabinoid system get back to its normal level of functioning.

Best Way to Take CBD for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

While there is no assurance that CBD can help you with the symptoms of your IBS, you can ensure that you take the right substances for you. This can give you better chances of receiving the effects that you need as soon as possible. Here are some of the best methods that you may want to look into if you have IBS and are looking into CBD products, here are the top two that you should seek out for your disorder.

Tincture Oil

CBD tincture oils are oil products that are designed to be taken sublingually. Using these drops, you can avoid having to physically ingest anything and go right for direct results that won’t be potentially harmful to your digestive system. Tincture oils are perfect for those who want to start using CBD because they are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream to help the user experience immediate results. They are easier to dose compared to other CBD products and they come in a variety of different flavors that will make the overall experience enjoyable.

Edibles

You may be thinking to yourself, wouldn’t it be counteractive to take a CBD product that would have to be physically digested in order to take effect. While that may be a logical question, edibles may be very helpful for those with IBS as the CBD is taken directly into the digestive system via the edible. The time that it takes for CBD to be absorbed into the body through edibles is much slower than the previous product but is not so much of an issue due to the introduction method. CBD Edibles are typically very tasty and are either dosed as a whole or are separated into sections that are each dosed to meet the whole dosage of the product.

Conclusion

IBS is a digestive disorder that has the potential to change the way that you live your life. However, with the right treatment plan, you can make it so that some of these symptoms are more bearable. This guide should give you a better idea of what CBD may be able to do for your Irritable Bowel Syndrome.