It is important to bring awareness to topics that are often taboo to talk about, bowel movements can be one of those. In the month of April it’s important to talk about Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS for short is brought to light. Read on to learn more about IBS, what the symptoms are, and how it can be treated.
Healthy Tip Tuesday is brought to you in partnership with Trinity Health Systems.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome affects almost 1 in 10 people in the United States and often goes undiagnosed or untreated.
What is IBS:
IBS is considered a ‘functional’ bowel problem. That means that if you look at the bowel, it looks normal. But the nerves and muscles that control the bowel do not work normally, and that is what causes symptoms.
What are the symptoms?
- abdominal pain
- bloating
- constipation
- diarrhea (or both diarrhea and constipation)
There are no two aspects of IBS for people that are the same. Some individuals are affected by certain foods while others are not. Every person is different. No two people will respond to treatment the same, but hopefully, people will be able to find relief from IBS with support from their medical doctor.
What are the treatment options?
While there is no cure for IBS doctors can refer and recommend a variety of treatment options.
- Change in diet
- Adding more fiber
- Removing Gluten
- Sometimes a special diet referred to as the low FODMAP diet
- Adding probiotics
- Treatment with medication
- Mental health therapy
- Proper sleep
