Fibromyalgia is a disorder that is characterized by pain, fatigue, and various issues with sleep and memory. It is believed fibromyalgia causes painful sensations by its ability to affect the part of our brain that processes pain signals. Sometimes fibromyalgia and IBS can overlap in single patient. However, getting IBS when suffering from fibromyalgia can be avoided.
Fibromyalgia – causes and symptoms
The causes of fibromyalgia aren’t known yet. It is assumed that this disorder occurs due to genetics, various infections, or some physical and emotional trauma. The symptoms of this disorder, however, are known and they include:
- Widespread pain – this pain is usually described as a constant and dull ache that lasts for up to few months. Widespread pain technically implies that pain occurs in both sides of your body, and above and below your waist.
- Fatigue – people with this disorder usually wake up tired, even when they get enough sleep. Sometimes, their sleep can be disrupted by pain and fibromyalgia patients usually have various sleep disorders too, including sleep apnea.
- Cognitive difficulties – inability to focus, pay attention and concentrate
- Depression, headache, cramping or pain in the lower abdomen.
IBS – causes and symptoms
In order to avoid getting IBS when suffering from fibromyalgia, it is necessary to understand the causes and symptoms of IBS as well. It’s still not known what causes IBS, exactly, but it’s assumed that various factors can induce it. The most common triggers of the IBS are:
- Food – even though it is still not understood how some food allergies or intolerance to specific foods trigger IBS, various studies have confirmed that people experience more severe symptoms when they eat certain things.
- Stress – majority of people with IBS report their symptoms get worse when they are dealing with stressful situations.
- Hormones – as women get this syndrome more than men, it is assumed hormonal changes play a role in occurrence of the IBS.
- Other illnesses – such as diarrhea, or too many bacteria in the intestines can cause IBS as well.
Symptoms of IBS are:
- Cramping or abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Gas
- Mucus in the stool
- Constipation or diarrhea.
Fibromyalgia and IBS – common characteristics
As previously stated above, fibromyalgia and IBS often overlap. For example, fibromyalgia occurs in 60% people with the irritable bowel syndrome, while about 70% people with fibromyalgia also get IBS.
Common characteristics of these disorders are:
- Both usually occur in women
- Certain medications can treat symptoms of both disorders
- Both disorders are characterized by irregular sleeping patterns and fatigue
- Some psychological and behavioral therapies are proved to be helpful for both conditions.
Avoiding IBS
When you’re suffering from fibromyalgia, the last thing you need is to face the irritable bowel syndrome as well. There is no magic trick that will help you eliminate both of these conditions or prevent IBS from occurring. However, there are still some things you can do in order to try and minimize the risk, and they start with diet.
- Fruits and vegetables – they are low in calories but high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Some studies confirmed that symptoms of fibromyalgia worsen after oxidative stress, which means you need foods that contain antioxidants like fruits and vegetables. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, it is always best to buy them fresh. Natural foods don’t have any additives that can aggravate fibromyalgia symptoms or trigger IBS.
- Avoid artificial sweeteners – use sweets and other products that contain artificial sweeteners. Additionally, all products that contain chemical or processed ingredients should be avoided as they can only increase fibromyalgia symptoms which could invoke IBS as well.
- Do relaxation exercises – this will benefit you for more reasons than one. As fibromyalgia is characterized by fatigue, relaxation exercises to reduce stress will boost your energy levels. Moreover, they are a great way to prevent IBS.
- Avoid stressful situations – this is easier said than done, but extremely important. Both, fibromyalgia and IBS can be triggered by stress and it would be ideal to avoid it or find a unique way to deal and manage the stress in order to prevent it from deteriorating your health.
- Omega-3 fatty acids – are essential for the proper function of our body. Moreover, they have anti-inflammatory properties and are able to act as pain reliever. A study from 2007 discovered that after 3 months of regular consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids morning stiffness and tender, painful joints decreased. With the decrease of fibromyalgia symptoms, the chances of getting IBS are decreased as well. Omega-3 fatty acids can also be found in fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, and in nuts.
Although fibromyalgia and IBS occur due to unknown reasons and often overlap, by controlling fibromyalgia you can avoid irritable bowel syndrome. The best way to control symptoms of fibromyalgia is by eating healthy foods, being active, and avoiding stress.
About the author:
Elena Shephard (@ElenaShephard) lives in New York, Albany, USA. She is an independent researcher by profession who loves reading the latest lifestyle news, writing and hanging around with friends. In her spare time, she enjoys doing research and writing certain health and beauty related articles for online websites, journals, etc. The best part of her job is generating awareness about the many remedial factors one can carry out from his/her daily life practices, with the help of her writing skills. Get in touch with her on G+, Facebook and Pinterest.
