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IBS HACKS! Tips everyone NEEDS to know | Becky Excell

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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - causes, symptoms, risk factors, treatment, pathology

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome | IBS | MedlinePlus

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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can cause a great deal of discomfort. Learn about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of IBS.

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-IBS-D: irritable bowel syndrome diarrhea (loose stool too often)
-IBS-C: irritable bowel syndrome constipation (stool that is hard to move or pass through your body)
-IBS-M: irritable bowel syndrome mixed (you feel both of those symptoms)

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Top Tricks to Conquer Your Worst Flare-Ups

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Top Tricks to Conquer Your Worst Flare-Ups

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Many find it helpful to write in a food diary. This means reporting every single piece of food you eat and then later describing how it makes you feel. This way after about a week or so you can find common trends in what food makes you feel better and what makes you feel worse. You can then avoid the foods to prevent future flare ups that you know are cause for that specific food group.

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Whenever you experience IBS flare- ups it is important you get your body back into its most comfortable and stable place. If you avoid major stressers in your life and things that seem to cause you anxiety that will instantly relieve some pressure you feel in your abdomen. Always remember... Your body listens to you mind!

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check out this website for more in depth information

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It's not totally clear how stress, anxiety, and irritable bowel syndrome are related -- or which one comes first -- but studies show they can happen together.

When a doctor talks to people with this digestive disorder, "what you find is that about 60% of IBS patients will meet the criteria for one or more psychiatric disorders," says Edward Blanchard, PhD, professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Albany.

The most common mental ailment people with irritable bowel syndrome have is generalized anxiety disorder, Blanchard says. He thinks more than 60% of IBS patients with a psychiatric illness have that type of anxiety. Another 20% have depression, and the rest have other disorders.

Regardless of whether they have irritable bowel syndrome, people with anxiety tend to worry greatly about issues such as health, money, or careers. Thos can lead to other symptoms that

include upset stomach, trembling, muscle aches, insomnia, dizziness, and irritability.

There are several theories about the connection between IBS, stress, and anxiety:

Although psychological problems like anxiety don't cause the digestive disorder, people with IBS may be more sensitive to emotional troubles.

Stress and anxiety may make the mind more aware of spasms in the colon.

IBS may be triggered by the immune system, which is affected by stress.

Ways to Cope With Stress and Anxiety

There's proof that keeping your stress under control can help you prevent or ease IBS symptoms. You could learn about relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or visualization, where you imagine a peaceful scene. Or you can zap tension by simply doing something fun -- talk to a friend, read, listen to music, or go shopping.

It's also a great idea to exercise, get enough sleep, and eat a good diet for IBS.

Try different stress-busting techniques to see which may help ease your IBS symptoms.

If you're still tense and anxious, talk with your doctor. Make sure you're getting the right medical treatment for your constipation or diarrhea. Then discuss whether talk therapy might help.

People with irritable bowel syndrome "should really start with their primary care physician, and work with that person," Blanchard says. "They should only go the next step [psychological care] if what they're doing with their doctor is not working."

Continued

Blanchard says two-thirds of people with IBS get better with changes in diet and medication. The other third, people with more severe symptoms, might benefit from psychological help. "Without that, they don't seem to get out of the problem that they're in," he says.

Research shows that therapy can help some IBS symptoms in many people who try it. Options include relaxation therapy, biofeedback, hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy, and traditional psychotherapy.

Therapy has limitations, though. Some studies have found it doesn't help the constipation or constant belly aches that come with IBS.

You could join a self-help group for people with irritable bowel syndrome or other digestive disorders. Members of these groups know what it's like to live with IBS. Sometimes they can offer more meaningful support than you could get from even your closest friends.

"You are not alone in trying to handle it all," says Lynn Jacks, founder of an IBS support group in Summit, N.J.

There are support groups around the globe. One option is WebMD's Digestive Disorders Support Group, which is available 24 hours a day.

WebMD Medical Reference Reviewed by Jaydeep Bhat, MD, MPH on February 14, 2019

Sources

SOURCES:

Philip Schoenfeld, MD, MSEd, MSc, co-author of American College of Gastroenterology's "Evidence-Based Position Statement on the Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in North America."

Janine Blackman, MD, PhD, former medical director of the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine, adjunct professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center, founder of RiverSoul Wellness in Bethesda, MD.

Jonathan Gilbert, who has a diplomate in herbology and acupuncture from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: "Acupuncture."

Mayo Clinic: "Irritable Bowel Syndrome."

WebMD Feature: "Natural Alternatives for IBS."

University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter.

Medscape: "Probiotics Significantly Reduce Symptoms of IBS, Ulcerative Colitis" and "Highlights from Digestive Disease Week: An Expert Interview with Lawrence R. Schiller, MD."

Next Article
IBS and Depression

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Stress, Anxiety, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

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It's not totally clear how stress, anxiety, and irritable bowel syndrome are related -- or which one comes first -- but studies show they can happen together. When a doctor talks to people with this digestive disorder, "what you find is that about 60% of IBS patients will meet the criteria for one or more psychiatric disorders," says Edward Blanchard, PhD, professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Albany.

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-Having extreme constipation or diarrhea
-Excessive bloating or gas
-Constant cramping that doesn't seem to ever go away
-Mucus released into your stool