Many IBS sufferers would argue that the discomfort from constipation comes a close second to the discomfort of a bloated stomach.
Constipation can mean different things to different people. For many, it simply means irregular or infrequent stools. For others, it can mean hard stools, excessive straining for a bowel movement, or a sense of “unfinished business” after a bowel movement.
As the name of the condition suggests, with IBS your whole bowel is irritated, but different symptoms affect different areas of your digestive tract. If your digested food is moving slowly through your bowel as a result of the inflammation/irritation, the food you have eaten will sit in your stomach longer, ferment longer, and produce more gas. If you “gobble” your food and take in a lot of air when you swallow, that will add extra gas that will probably expand your stomach (distend) even further.
As I mentioned in the preceding post about bloated stomach and diarrhea, the lining of the colon (the epithelium) is directly affected by your immune and nervous systems that regulate the movement or motility of the colon. The stress and anxiety associated with (and sometimes caused by IBS) can directly significantly reduce that motility, producing constipation.
The good news is that constipation is relatively easy to treat with appropriate adjustments to diet (fiber) and, in more extreme cases, laxatives and medication.
The bad news is that many IBS sufferers experience cycles of diarrhea and constipation where the erratic motility of their colon switches from one extreme (too fast) to the other (too slow).
Warning
My blog is for information purposes only – as a fellow sufferer of many of these conditions, I have done a lot of research and wanted to share that material with as many people as possible. Do not self-diagnose your condition – many of these symptoms can be indicative of bigger health problems. I have found that taking a supplement like RezVera has been very helpful for me, but if you’re experiencing severe or chronic stomach bloating that is frequent or prolonged, consult a doctor for a full medical diagnosis.