Can Smoking Cause Irritable Bowel Syndrome Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Many people fear quitting smoking for a variety of reasons. It will be too hard, it is impossible to quit, it will make socialising harder etc. However, many of the fears that people associate with quitting smoking are really just excuses; many people want to justify their habit by creating a litany of reasons why they can’t quit smoking.
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
One such excuse that some people have come up with, but that is not grounded in truth, is that quitting smoking causes Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In fact, the reverse is true: smoking very often leads to a person developing IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). Let’s take a closer look at IBS to understand what it is and its relationship to smoking.
IBS is an uncomfortable bowel disorder that comes with a variety of unpleasant symptoms:
- Chronic abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Cramping
- Bloating
- Nausea
IBS is a gastrointestinal disorder and the medical community has not pin-pointed one cause of the disease. It seems to be the product of many different types of activities from poor diet to smoking. People who suffer from IBS are generally in a constant state of discomfort which can then cause them to suffer mood swings.
Smoking both contributes to the development of and irritates cases of IBS.
This is because cigarette smoke irritates the valves connecting the esophagus and the stomach as well as aggravating the lining of the stomach. Tobacco smoke has been linked to acid reflux, indigestion and other gastrointestinal disorders like IBS, so it can definitively be labeled as a contributing factor to IBS and other digestive problems.
So why do people believe that quitting smoking causes IBS?
There are a variety of reasons and some make sense and some don’t. However, many people falsely believe that quitting cigarettes causes IBS because of the discomfort that is experienced by people immediately after they quit smoking.
Some people who quit smoking may experience some form of digestive discomfort as their body learns to re-adjust to life without cigarettes especially if they go cold turkey. Heartburn, indigestion, nausea, constipation—these are all possible side effects of quitting smoking. However, these problems were originally caused by the cigarettes.
If people begin to experience digestive problems for longer than several weeks, they might want to consider other aspects of their lifestyle—such as diet and exercise—as roots of the problem, and seek medical attention accordingly.
So the long and the short of it is: quitting smoking does not cause IBS. Smoking disturbs the body (and may be the direct cause of IBS itself) and when a person stops smoking, then the body is still off kilter and takes some time to adjust to life without tobacco smoke. It should be mentioned here that quitting smoking with hypnotherapy usually has the opposite effect with people experiencing a reduction in heartburn or indigestion and the energy kicks in around day 4.
To assist with quitting smoking, reach out to a hypnotherapist who will step you through an easy and relaxed session so you can become a non smoker.
How Can Hypnosis Help Me
If you are seeking help or experiencing the frustration of being a smoker, then reach out and make contact. The Hypnotherapist Maureen Hamilton says her greatest love is to see just one more person being taken from the crutches of the cigarette companies and being free of this killing habit. You are also given a Lifetime Guarantee. This means if you ever smoke again, you can come back for another session and there is no charge to you. Maureen can be contacted on 1300 619 684 or alternatively you can make your booking online and set your date to become a non smoker for life and in only one easy session.