Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome #IBS

Treating IBS- Part 1

Irritable bowel syndrome / Disease (IBS) is one of the diseases of the modern era. It has been brought up & forward with the new lifestyle, stress, anxiety and a lot more. IBS could vary from minimal symptoms to severely debilitating illness affecting your daily routine. For more insight please go through Understanding IBS.

What are the symptoms suggestive of IBS (ICS Criteria)?

• Recurrent episodes of abdominal pain.
• Changes in frequency, form or consistency of the stool.
• The sensation of incomplete evacuation, straining, fecal urgency.
• The sensation of nausea, fatigue, fullness, vomiting.
• Recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort at least 3 days/month in the last 3 months associated with two or more of the following:
• Improvement of pain with defecation.
• Onset associated with a change in frequency of stool.
• Onset associated with a change in the form (appearance) of stool.

IBS does not cause Cancer. It’s a NON CARCINOGENIC CONDITION.

Is IBS treatable?

No, there’s no cure for IBS.

The Treatment of IBS is mainly based on reducing the symptoms so that a person could carry out their daily routine activities.

What is the treatment of IBS?

Treatment is based on:

• Diet modifications
• Avoid trigger factors
• Stress & anxiety management
• Medications
• Psychological management

Dietary modifications:

Diet is a major trigger in IBS so managing the diet is one of the major factors in treating IBS.

There are some food items that might trigger the symptoms so it’s advisable to avoid such food products at least in public places or get-togethers.

Examples of the trigger food:

• alcohol
• beans/ broccoli/ cabbage
• carbonated drinks
• cauliflower
• chocolate
• high-fat foods
• milk
• spicy foods

The diet changes:

• Manage fiber in your diet: since IBS could alternate from diarrhea and constipation so you should manage the fiber intake according to the disease to avoid bloating or constipation.
• Plenty of fluids: increase fluid intake but avoid carbonated and high caffeine in drinks  
• Probiotic in diet: either take yogurt or curd or take capsules. Probiotics are healthy bacilli of the intestines so they help in digestion and even helps in IBS by making gut healthy. Read more about Probiotics in Probiotics & Life
• Take multiple small meals & don’t skip meals.
• Avoid spicy & high-fat meals
• In IBS people develop Gluten sensitivity so avoid high gluten food.
• Oat based meals

Lifestyle modifications:

• Healthy sleeping habits
• Exercise daily
• Regular and healthy meals
• Indulge in Yoga or meditation for relaxation
• Plenty of fluids

It’s a huge topic and I’m only covering the tip of the iceberg in my post so, we’ll discuss more on treatment options in my post: Irritable Bowel Syndrome & Mental Health.

Be Healthy  Be Happy

Disclaimer: This article is for reference purposes only, under no circumstances it should be used as a replacement of medical opinion by Professionals. Any decision regarding health and health care should be taken after professional advice only. Health care advice and information shared by the author are best to her knowledge. We disclaim all responsibilities for any inadvertent omission/ commission by the author or the website.

References:

1. https://www.ics.org/glossary/diagnosis/irritablebowelsyndromeibsfunctionalnoninflammatory?gclid=Cj0KCQiA04XxBRD5ARIsAGFygj8KmkeNwQV_4cWkqVr-0hgO4y5PEF1WTmQ56H-5QEZfJOcw4t_Ee9caArvrEALw_wcB
2. https://www.healthline.com/health/ibs-c/avoiding-ibs-triggers-social-situations#1
3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/37063.php#diet
4. https://www.healthline.com/health/irritable-bowel-syndrome#what-is-ibs