Irritable Bowel Symptom (IBS) is a condition which affects the large intestine. Symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, diarrhea, constipation and gas. Around one in five Australians suffer from the condition.
Unfortunately, there is not a cure for IBS, and so treatment revolves more around management and prevention of symptoms. It is not known exactly what causes the condition, but it appears to be linked to certain foods and lifestyle factors such as stress.
Here are five ways to better manage your Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS):
1. Keep a food and symptom diary
This not only helps you see how certain foods react with your body, but should you decide to see a dietitian experienced in IBS (recommended!) it becomes a helpful tool to start the investigative work. A diary essentially tracks the time and quantity of food that you eat and the possible symptoms that occur.
2. Examine your fat intake
Fat can be a gastric irritant – especially when you consume too much of it! A dietitian can identify whether your diet is out of balance with macronutrients (such as fat) and therefore potentially affect your IBS symptoms. It is important to make this assessment first before jumping head first into a restrictive diet – you could end up making things worse.
3. Keep track of how much caffeine you drink
Like fat, caffeine can also be an gastric irritant and upset the stomach. For some people one coffee is too much; for other people, they may not be affected by three in a day. It is very individual but caffeine appears to play a considerable role in exacerbating IBS symptoms.
4. Track how work/life stress may impact on your symptoms
Stress can all too often dictate how severe one person’s IBS symptoms can be. A non- stressful day vs a highly stressful day is worth noting down in a diary.
5. Go and see your GP
Before you jump onto any diet program or begin to make changes to what you eat, you should pay a visit to your GP to discuss. Sometimes symptoms of IBS can be very similar to symptoms of serious diseases/illnesses such as Crohn’s disease or bowel cancer.
If you would like to make an appointment with Jess to discuss your IBS symptoms, please get in touch.