Spastic Colon Explained

Spastic colon is a chronic condition in which the muscles of the small and large intestines have spontaneous contractions or spasms. Another name for spastic colon is irritable bowel syndrome. Severity of symptoms will vary from person to person, and treatment options differ accordingly. There is no inflammation involved so the intestines are not harmed and it doesn't lead to a more serious medical condition. There is no known cause for spastic colon. The condition is more common in women than men.

Symptoms

• Symptoms associated with spastic colon include cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea alone, constipation alone, or a combination of the two, pain that goes away after a bowel movement, loose stools that sometimes contain mucus, and the urge to move bowels again right after going. Eating large meals with fatty foods, excess stress, menstrual periods and excess gas can make symptoms of spastic colon worse.

Risk Factors

• Factors that increase the chances of developing spastic colon include being female, family history of the condition and stress. People are also more prone to the condition in young adulthood and if they have suffered abuse.

Prevalence

• Womenshealth.gov states that as many as one if five Americans has spastic colon. There figures say 75% of those suffering with the condition are women. The reason for this is not known, but some think it is because more women go to the doctor for the problem than men.

Diagnosis and Treatment

• A physical exam and questions are often all that is called for to diagnosis spastic colon. If this is not definitive, stool samples, blood tests, and X-rays, along with a colonoscopy are used.

  Treatment for spastic colon consists of changes in diet, stress reduction, and sometimes medication. Reduce the amount of fatty foods in the diet, eliminate cheese, ice cream, chocolate, alcohol, caffeinated and carbonated drinks. Add more fiber rich foods such as apples, whole grain breads, and raw broccoli and carrots to the diet. Eat smaller meals and practice stress reduction techniques such as meditation to help with symptoms. Take medications to help with spasms, diarrhea and constipation, and pain as directed.

Considerations

• Use a food diary to keep track of all foods eaten to see which ones aggravate the intestines. Foods that trigger an attack should be eliminated from the diet to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.