What is IBS, what are the symptoms and what can you do to treat the condition? In our latest blog post we explain more.

What is IBS?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the name given to a longstanding condition consisting of frequent abdominal discomfort and bowel symptoms that cannot be explained by any other disease.

There is no specific cause for IBS and no single effective treatment. It is different for everyone so the symptoms one person experiences will be different for another. In the same way, what treatment works for one person won’t work for another.

What are the symptoms of IBS?

The symptoms vary from person to person affecting people at different times and in different ways. If a person is going through a particularly stressful time, the stress and anxiety may cause a flare-up of their IBS or intensify their symptoms.

Symptoms include:

  • Abdominal cramps, often relieved by going to the toilet
  • Bloating
  • Diarrhoea
  • Constipation
  • Frustrated defecation (needing to go to the toilet but not being able to)
  • Tiredness
  • Nausea
  • Heartburn and indigestion
  • Backache
  • Needing to pass urine frequently
  • Headaches
  • Muscle pains
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Lethargy
  • Dizziness
  • Ringing in the ears

People with IBS often experience headaches, backache, urinary symptoms, tiredness and pain in many parts of their body.

What can you do to treat IBS?

There is no one treatment that works for everyone. The key to living well with IBS is self-management.  This means learning to recognise your triggers and understanding your symptoms.  Once you have a better understanding of what is happening in your body you will be able to explore what treatments work best for you.

There is no cure for IBS but you can learn to manage the symptoms of IBS yourself and take back control by a combination of diet, stress management and drugs. It may be challenging at times but try to stay positive and take action to manage your condition.

Medications

There is no single drug that effectively treats all the symptoms of IBS and it’s important to remember that some drugs may treat some symptoms but make others worse. For example, if you suffer from constipation, anti-diarrhoea tablets will make your condition worse.

Most drugs to treat the symptoms of IBS can be bought over the counter at your local chemist. Discuss your symptoms with your GP and pharmacist.

Lifestyle and diet

Many people with IBS find that making lifestyle and diet changes can have a positive impact on their IBS. We suggest you start by keeping a 12-week wellness diary where you record what you are eating, how you are feeling and what is happening in your life. This may help you to better understand your symptoms and triggers and identify any patterns.

How keeping a wellness diary can help your IBS.

Any exclusion diets such as the low FODMAP diet should only be undertaken with the supervision of a registered dietitian.

For more information about IBS and how to live better with the condition visit The IBS Network website here.