The Most Effective Interventions for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
The pain and discomfort of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can be chronic, but there are many ways to control symptoms. One of the most effective strategies is modifying your diet to avoid foods that trigger IBS symptoms.
“A change in diet can have a positive impact on patients with IBS,” says Meira Abramowitz, MD, a gastroenterologist with the Jill Roberts Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Weill Cornell.
Understanding IBS
IBS isn’t actually a disease, but rather a syndrome that consists of a set of symptoms. They include abdominal pain or discomfort, gas, bloating, and a disturbance in bowel habits, including constipation (IBS-c), diarrhea (IBS-d), or alternating bouts of both.
It’s not clear what causes IBS. If you have it, the contractions of your intestinal muscles may be too strong or last too long. You may also have the opposite problem, with contractions that are too weak. A diagnosis of IBS is generally arrived at after tests fail to rule out other conditions, such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis.
Stress can aggravate IBS. Other intestinal problems may trigger IBS, too. Gastroenteritis (infectious diarrhea) and a bacterial overgrowth in the intestines may cause IBS symptoms to flare up.
Hormones have also been implicated in IBS. Women are more likely than men to develop IBS, and many women note that symptoms tend to be worse around the time of their menstrual periods.
One of the most common IBS triggers is a group of foods known as FODMAPs.
The FODMAP link
FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols) are sugars that can be difficult to digest. FODMAPs are found in a wide range of foods. They can be naturally occurring, such as fructose in a piece of fresh fruit, or they can be additives, such as high-fructose corn syrup in products such as sodas, cereals, and condiments. “As these sugars are broken down in your gut, gaseous byproducts are formed, leading to increased bloating and changes in bowel habits,” explains Dr. Abramowitz.
You may be sensitive to certain FODMAPs but not others. Dr. Abramowitz says a little experimentation is the best way to identify your triggers.
“Some people with IBS are able to tolerate certain high-FODMAP foods,” Dr. Abramowitz says. “However, it’s not always easy to figure out which high-FODMAP foods trigger symptoms. I generally recommend eliminating all foods high in FODMAPs for several weeks, and then slowly adding back the FODMAPs one by one to determine which of the high-FODMAP foods can be tolerated. I find that the low-FODMAP diet is helpful for patients with IBS-d, and eating a high-fiber diet with increased water intake is helpful for patients with IBS-c, who often have a higher tolerance for high-FODMAP foods.”
Working with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) can help you identify your trigger foods. Research presented at the 2017 Digestive Diseases Week showed that, with the help of a nutritionist, IBS patients were able to significantly reduce their symptoms by following a low-FODMAP diet that removed or reduced the specific foods that were identified as triggers for each study participant.
Avoiding foods that contain gluten, such as wheat, rye, and barley, may also help with IBS diarrhea symptoms. Talk with your doctor about these and any other dietary changes you should consider.
IBS Treatment
If your symptoms do not improve with dietary adjustments, it is important to follow up with your doctor for an evaluation.
You may need medications to help you get through IBS symptom flare-ups. Treatments for IBS-d include rifaximin (Xifaxan) and eluxadoline (Viberzi), and treatments for IBS-c include high-fiber supplements such as psyllium husk (Metamucil), methylcellulose (Citrucel), and laxatives.
Minimizing stress may also ease IBS symptoms. Mindfulness training and deep breathing techniques can help you learn to relax and minimize stress and its many health complications.
The post The Most Effective Interventions for Irritable Bowel Syndrome appeared first on University Health News.
Read Original Article: The Most Effective Interventions for Irritable Bowel Syndrome »
Powered by WPeMatico
