Strategies To Fight IBS
What is IBS?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal disorder that affects the small and large intestines. IBS is referred to as a functional disorder. This means that there is nothing wrong with the actual structure of your bowel, rather the problem lies with how it works. While IBS can be uncomfortable and distressing at times, it does not permanently harm the intestines or lead to a more serious condition. There is no cure for IBS but it can be well managed so it does not interfere with your overall health and quality of life.
Symptoms of IBS
Before you can begin to manage your IBS and practice the strategies to help fight it, it’s first important to understand what the symptoms of IBS are. No one is the same, so some may experience only one to a few symptoms while others may experience all of the symptoms.
IBS symptoms usually include:
Abdominal pain and cramping that are related to abnormalities in bowel movements, such as constipation, diarrhea, or both.
Constipation.
Diarrhea.
Alternating constipation and diarrhea.
Bloating and gas.
The urge to move the bowels, but an inability to do so.
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Lifestyle causes of IBS
While there is no definitive proof to it, there are certain lifestyle types and choices that are more likely to develop and suffer from IBS. So if you are experiencing symptoms of IBS, it’s important to recognize your lifestyle choices and if they could be the root cause. And if you are experiencing IBS symptoms but don’t feel that you fall under any of these categories, it doesn’t mean it’s not IBS.
Someone who is a workaholic
Someone dealing with social anxiety
Someone who fears food controlling them
Someone dealing with uncertainty
COVID
Like anything, there are certain lifestyles that could be making your IBS worse or could be causing it in the first place. While it’s common for anxiety and IBS to go hand in hand, it doesn’t have to be a toxic relationship on your body. It’s possible to break the tie. Your thoughts and emotions play a huge role in what triggers your IBS symptoms, so putting yourself in a good mind frame is essential.
For workaholics that could be cutting down your hours little by little each week and doing something you consider fun (outside of working) with friends and family.
For someone dealing with social anxiety, break down social situations you find challenging into smaller parts and work on feeling more relaxed part by part.
For someone who fears food, try to practice mindful eating so you can try to take control of your sensations.
For someone feeling overwhelmed by uncertainty, try adding a ‘stability rock’. This adds something reliable to your life when it feels like things are spinning out of control and can help remind you that there are some things that are within your control.
In regards to COVID, it’s important to remember that very little about our lives are totally certain, and while we have control over many things, we can’t control everything that happens to us. And it’s important to remember that you are not alone in this.
Lifestyles that may cause stress or anxiety are the biggest trigger to IBS symptoms, and though we might not be able to cut out this stress entirely, there are ways of managing it.
Strategies that help fight IBS
Some strategies that could be helpful to those who have IBS include special diets, stress relief and exercise. Finding a strategy that works may take time and experimentation. However once you find what works best for you and your body, it’s best to begin to develop a routine so that your symptoms can begin to be relieved. You can also avoid flare-ups by starting and sticking to a routine that works for you.
The following strategies can be useful and beneficial to any of the IBS symptom lifestyles mentioned earlier, or for anyone experiencing IBS symptoms in general.
Low-FODMAP diet
The FODMAP (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols) Diet focuses on eliminating certain types of carbs and sugars, as they are known to bring water with them through your bowels, resulting in more gas, bloating, and diarrhea. The principle behind the diet is to give the gut a chance to heal, and by cutting these from your diet, you are likely to see and feel a dramatic improvement in your symptoms.
Low FODMAP foods include:
Vegetables (zucchini, tomatoes, lettuce, eggplant, green beans, cucumbers, potatoes, olives)
Fruits (oranges, grapes, bananas, lime, lemons, blueberries, grapefruit, strawberries)
Dairy that is lactose free (including hard cheeses like feta and brie)
Proteins high in lean (beef, pork, chicken, eggs, fish)
Gluten free pasta and breads
Stress relief
Reducing your stress can help reduce the frequency and severity of your symptoms, as stress can sometimes be a main cause of IBS attacks. It may be helpful to take a step back and see what could be causing the stress in your life. This makes it easier to try and eliminate or reduce them. Once you’ve identified your stress, there are a number of stress relieving activities you could try.
Some activities to try include:
Physical exercise (walking, running, bicycling, swimming)
Breathing exercises
Yoga
Meditation
Mindfulness training
By practicing mindfulness, you can begin to focus your attention on the sensations that you feel in the moment, instead of becoming stressed about those sensations after they’ve passed and worrying about what they mean. Through mindfulness, you can develop awareness of your mind and body and relax, which may help to reduce your IBS symptoms and increase your own well-being.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to dealing with IBS. However by trying these different combinations of diet, stress relief, exercise and mindfulness, you should be on your way to reducing your discomfort from symptoms of IBS.
