Last updated on October 16th, 2024 at 03:33 pm
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What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome ?
IBS- Irritated Bowel Syndrome is a common condition affecting the large intestine. IBS’s typical symptoms include cramps, stomach pain, bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation. Symptoms like bloating and gas typically disappear after bowel movements. IBS is a debilitating illness; you will have to treat for long periods.
Irritated Bowel Syndrome can be classified into four categories. They are IBS with constipation or with diarrhea or with both known as IBS-C, IBS-D, and IBS-M, respectively. Forth is IBS-U, which is a subtype, and usually, symptoms are not frequent in it. Disorders such as anxiety, severe depression, and chronic fatigue syndrome are common in people with Irritated Bowel Syndrome.
The causes are not clear; however certain factors for IBS include combinations of gut-brain axis issues, intestinal motility disorders, over stress, gut infections, bacterial overgrowth, neurotransmitters, genetic factors, and food sensitivity. Symptoms may be trigger due to over stress or intestinal disease.
Irritated Bowel Syndrome has no cure, and it can be challenging, painful, and embarrassing to live with irritable bowel syndrome. Also, it may impact your living quality. Here are the five ways to cope up with the situation.
Read in Hindi – इर्रिटेड बाउल सिंड्रोम (IBS) क्या है? स्थिति को बेहतर ढंग से प्रबंधित करने के 5 तरीके
Read in Gujarati – ઇરીટેબલ બોવેલ સિન્ડ્રોમ (IBS) શું છે? પરિસ્થિતિને વધુ સારી રીતે સંચાલિત કરવાની 5 રીતો
First of all, identify the type of IBS with the help of a doctor and then start preventive remedies.
Types of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
There are three main types of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS):
- IBS with constipation (IBS-C): This type of IBS is characterized by hard, lumpy stools that are difficult to pass and infrequent bowel movements.
- IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D): This type of IBS is characterized by loose, watery stools and frequent bowel movements.
- IBS with mixed bowel habits (IBS-M): This type of IBS involves both constipation and diarrhea, with alternating bouts of both.
It’s worth noting that some people with IBS don’t fit into any of these categories and may experience symptoms that don’t fit the traditional definitions of IBS-C, IBS-D, or IBS-M. In such cases, doctors may refer to it as “unclassified IBS” or “IBS-U.”
Ways to manage the Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
1. Change your diet and lifestyle:
A few basic lifestyle and dietary changes will relieve your IBS symptoms. No specific Irritated Bowel Syndrome diet is available because what works for one person cannot work for another. The right nutritional modifications for you are based on your symptoms and reaction to other foods. Some food can trigger IBS; it may vary from person to person. However, some
common food and drinks trigger IBS: high-fat foods, caffeine(tea, coffee, sodas/ soft drinks), excessive fibrous food, and some gas-causing foods like beans, cabbage, green onions, wine, and so on, milk products, alcohol, artificial sweeteners. However, many of these cannot be harmful to you.
The way out is to keep a food diary and note which foods or drinks trigger IBS. According to research, a low FODMAP diet can improve Irritated Bowel Syndrome. A low FODMAP means having a meal with low Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, monosaccharides, and Polyols. These all are carbohydrates that have poor absorption in the small intestine, so they pass into the large intestine, where fermentation occurs by billions of bacteria, resulting in gas and bloating.
The same way change in lifestyle is needed to improve gut health. A sedentary lifestyle is inevitable, but we can change for our betterment.
Here is the list of changes that can help to manage Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
• Take 5 to 6 small meals instead of 2-3 large meals.
• Stay hydrated always.
• Take fibers but make sure not in the excessive amount; otherwise, IBS may worsen.
• Keep a minimum of 2 to 3 hours of gap between meal and sleep.
• Reduce the consumption of processed foods or packet foods.
• Increase intake of probiotics such as yogurt
2. Be physically active:
IBS symptoms are frequently prevented from worsening by physical activity. Increasing the level of your workout can provide IBS relief. Training helps to boost regular bowel contractions and reduce stress, which alleviates specific Irritated Bowel Syndrome symptoms. Research-based studies have proved that moderate to vigorous exercise, e to 5 times a week, significantly improves abdominal pain, stools regarding problems.
• Daily or minimum of 5 days per week exercise should be done.
• Everyday 30 minutes of walking, cycling, swimming or jogging should be there.
• Try to take stairs instead of a lift whenever you skip exercise.
3. Reduce stress :
Stress-induced thoughts and emotions can influence your belly and intestines. Stress-induced IBS leads to an imbalance between your brain and gut. The result is that sometimes stress and anxiety trigger intestinal activity. This causes diarrhea and churning of the stomach in some individuals. In other cases, the brain signals are inactive, and their intestines can slow, resulting in constipation, gas, and abdominal malaise. Chronic stress can lead to the imbalance and worsening of your intestinal bacteria. Thus, it is essential to manage stress to manage IBS which can eventually lead to intestinal infection, bleeding, or any colon issues.
Here are some quick ways to manage the stress;
• Do stress-relieving exercises such as meditation and yoga.
• Do the physical activity as it can reduce stress by releasing endorphins responsible for giving a sense of calm and well being.
• Sleep for 6 to 8 hours.
• Take relaxation techniques such as acupressure, body massage, or head massage.
4. Take medication:
When changes in your diet, lifestyle, and stress do not relieve your symptoms, your health care provider may recommend you try medication. Also, certain trigger factors like hormones, infections, genetic factors, menstruation, or menopause cannot be altered or avoided. At that time, it is advisable to consult a doctor.
Mostly fiber supplements, laxatives, anti-diarrheal, antidepressant, stress relievers, and so on are given as there is no any particular medicine for Irritated Bowel Syndrome. One medication may help some person but not to others. Therefore, talk with your doctor, discuss symptoms, trigger factors, and other problems to get medication if needed.
5. Psychological intervention:
Psychological therapy helps improve your symptoms if you still have problems with IBS after exploring all the above methods. Psychological intervention includes cognitive behavior therapy, gut hypnotherapy, and mindfulness training. All these methods are useful to improve your responses towards your gut. Mindful practice helps to build a consciousness of the mind and body and relax through concentration, which can lead to reducing IBS symptoms and through mental and physical feelings. Professionals in healthcare use CBT and psychodynamic treatment to treat IBS.
CBT focuses on your ideas and actions, while psychodynamic therapy focuses on how you feel about your IBS symptoms. A therapist uses hypnosis during gut-related hypnotherapy to help you learn how to calm your colon and to regain control of your physiological response.
Wrapping Up
Irritated Bowel Syndrome is an incurable disorder, and no particular solution for everyone to deal with IBS is available. But you should be on your way to decreasing discomfort from Irritated Bowel Syndrome symptoms by combining diet, exercise, stress management, medicine, and psychological therapies.
Frequently Asked Questions related to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
1) How to cure ibs permanently?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) cannot be cured, but symptoms can be managed through diet modifications, stress management, medications, probiotics, and exercise. Keeping track of trigger foods and avoiding them, practicing stress-reducing activities, and regular exercise can help alleviate symptoms. Consult with your healthcare provider for personalized treatment options.
2) What causes irritable bowel syndrome?
The exact cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is not fully understood, but research suggests that it may be caused by a combination of factors including abnormalities in the nervous system, abnormal muscle contractions, inflammation in the gut, changes in gut bacteria, food intolerances, and psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, and depression. The exact cause of IBS can vary from person to person, and it is important to work with a healthcare provider to identify triggers and develop a personalized treatment plan.
3) Irritable bowel syndrome foods to avoid?
There is no one-size-fits-all list of foods to avoid with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), but some common trigger foods include: high-fat foods, spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks, artificial sweeteners, beans, lentils, broccoli, cabbage, onions, garlic, wheat, and dairy products. Keeping a food diary can help identify personal trigger foods.
14 Healthy foods to add in your diet to make healthy diet | Types of Diets
4) Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms
The symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) vary from person to person but may include: abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, gas, and alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea. Some people with IBS may also experience nausea, fatigue, backache, and sleep disturbances.
