Irritable bowel syndrome is a digestion disorder. It affects the large intestine, and leads to cramping, pain, bloating, gas therein. IBS also causes digestive problems including constipation, diarrhea, or even both.
While the exact causes of IBS are unknown, it is usually a result of food passing too slow and too fast, leading to overstimulation of the nerves.
The severity of the symptoms can vary from person to person. Usually, it causes abdominal pain alongside bowel movement issues. Severe symptoms of IBS include weight loss, bloody stools, vomiting, difficulty in swallowing, nighttime diarrhea.
These alarming signs merit a visit to the gastroenterologist, whom you can book easily over oladoc.com. These are, however, rare. Most people are able to manage their IBS with lifestyle and dietary changes.
Managing Irritable Bowel Syndrome
IBS is a chronic condition, and therefore, it cannot be treated. It can, however, be managed by exercising caution. Making relevant changes to your diet and life is pertinent, however, it is also important to avoid the triggers of IBS.
Following are some things that you should be mindful of:
Stress
Our mood and gut are intricately link. Due to this profound connection, gut is also referred to as the second brain. Thus, it comes as no wonder that bouts of stress, anxiety and depression aggravate the symptoms of IBS.
Therefore, it is very important that you manage your stress. Yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and exercise are excellent ways to invigorate your mental health and keep stress at bay.
Drink up
Avoiding dehydration is very important if you do not want to struggle with IBS. It is helps in preventing constipation, which is a symptom of, and trigger of, irritable of bowel syndrome.
More fiber please
Fiber is pertinent for everyone, but especially those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.
It helps in promoting bowel movements. Since it adds bulk to the diet, fiber also prevents overeating, which can be hard on the GI tract. Moreover, fiber also prevents constipation, but at the same time, it also improves the symptoms of diarrhea as well.
However, do not go overboard on the fiber, as it can make the bloating worse. Just start off slow and focus on organic ways of incorporating fiber to your diet, like adding more fruits and vegetables, and of course, whole grains to your diet.
Do not be sedentary
You might not like exercise, but your body loves it. Exercise helps in destressing. It also is good for digestion as well. Moreover, exercise also promotes health otherwise. Thus, try to be more physically active.
Caffeine
Even though coffee fuels you, it may also trigger your IBS as well. Due to higher risk of abdominal problems with caffeine, you should first see how you feel with and without coffee and tea. If it adds to your discomfort, you need to cut back on the beloved caffeine.
No more processed food
Overindulging in processed food is not good health, period, but it is especially harmful for people suffering from IBS, as it can trigger and aggravate the symptoms of the disorder. Thus, reel back on the processed food!
Quit smoking
Cigarettes can also aggravate the symptoms of IBS. Therefore, quit smoking, if not for your heart, lungs, skin, then at least do it for to not to trigger your irritable bowel syndrome.
Moderate Dairy Intake
You might love your milkshakes, and cheesy pasta, but dairy is hard for the body to digest. It is even worse if you have lactose intolerance, that you are not aware of otherwise.
Thus, cut back on dairy. If your health starts to improve after cutting back on the milk and milk-based products, you might want to visit a Gastroenterologist in Islamabad or visit a Gastroenterologist mailing list to check if you also have lactose intolerance alongside IBS.
