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Could you have IBS… and don’t know it?
We all suffer the odd upset stomach, but if you regularly experience bloating, indigestion, cramping, or bouts of constipation or diarrhoea, then you might be suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Dominic Snowdon explains.
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is irregular, unpredictable and affects hundreds of thousands of people in Ireland (up to one in six of the population). It is often painful, embarrassing, exhausting, and highly inconvenient – living with the constant worry that you could be struck by abdominal spasms or need to run to the toilet at any time. IBS is a condition when the nerves and muscles of your large bowel (colon) don’t work the way they should, and the bowel becomes highly sensitive and easily upset and goes into spasm. IBS is also defined as a ‘chronic’ condition, because it can continue for lengthy periods. Anyone can suffer from IBS, but it often begins in the late teens or early 20s, women aged 20-40 are most likely to develop it, and it’s most common among 20-30 year-olds. Doctors are not sure what causes the condition, but when they see a patient who’s experienced symptoms for six months or more, they’ll first rule out other conditions – ranging from inflammation of the bowel, to coeliac disease, colon cancer, or even whether you’re infected with a parasite – and then start categorising the symptoms.
What causes IBS?
No one really knows. IBS can sometimes develop after a gastrointestinal infection or a severe bout of food
poisoning, while a range of other things could also set it off, ranging from stress, hormonal factors, or an intolerance to certain types of food, such as wheat and dairy, caffeine and chocolate. Some medical professionals are starting to think that a disruption to the bacterial balance in your intestines (your ‘gut flora’) can lie behind some of the longer-term symptoms of IBS.
Is there a cure?
Unfortunately, the answer is no, there isn’t a magic pill. Although your doctor might decide to try a specific type of drug to help alleviate your most uncomfortable symptom, such as cramping, constipation, excess acid production, diarrhoea, or whatever. But what you can do is build your understanding of the condition as it affects you, so you’re more able to avoid the triggers in the first place (sometimes all you’ll need is a few lifestyle changes), and better manage the symptoms when your IBS does flare up. There are also several over-the-counter treatments that claim to ease IBS symptoms, while an encouraging recent breakthrough has been the arrival of ‘targeted’, precision probiotic supplements – at least one of which has been clinically proven to alleviate many IBS symptoms.
What are the symptoms?
If you regularly experience these symptoms for six months or more, you should visit your doctor: • Abdominal pain or cramps. • Bloating. • Changes in bowel movements – diarrhoea, constipation or both. • Feeling you haven’t fully emptied your bowels (tenesmus). • Excess wind and gas. • Other symptoms such as tiredness, headache, nausea, muscle or joint pain.
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So what can I do?
All these have worked for IBS sufferers: • Keep a food diary, in case your IBS is triggered by a food or drink intolerance. • Exercise more often – every kilo off your weight reduces the burden on your digestive system. • Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. • Drink plenty of water. • Cut down on alcohol – it irritates the digestive system. • Cut down on fatty and spicy foods, starch, red meat, salt and sugar. • Cut out caffeine (remember it’s also in tea and soft drinks). • Reduce the size of your meals, try eating more frequent, smaller meals. • Take soluble fibre supplements – but NOT insoluble fibre such as bran. • Try a targeted, precision probiotic supplement to improve the balance of your gut microflora. • Get a handle on your levels of stress – try counselling, meditation, yoga and so on.
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