Abdominal pain, excessive gas, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation – these are the symptoms associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS for short.* If you are wincing, you may be among the roughly 8% of South Africans (around 4,6 million)1,2 who suffer from IBS, who have reported that on average they had suffered with IBS symptoms at least 1 day per week in the last 3 months.1 It is important to note that IBS is not a disease, but rather a functional disorder, meaning an abnormal function of the bowels, that results in a number of digestive symptoms.1 If you, or a family member, have been diagnosed with IBS, knowing more about it can help you manage it more effectively.
What it is
As mentioned, IBS is a chronic digestive disorder. In other words, it affects the stomach and intestines, which forms part of your digestive system. IBS is also known as a spastic bowel, irritable colon or nervous stomach, since symptoms often happen when you’re feeling emotional stress, tension and anxiety. As it is a chronic condition, there is no cure for it and it needs to be managed over the long term.
Common symptoms
The symptoms of IBS can vary from person to person, but usually include the following, experienced regularly over a long time:
- Abdominal pain, cramping or bloating that is related to passing a bowel movement
- Changes in appearance of bowel movement
- Erratic bowel movements
Possible causes
Although the exact causes of IBS are still being researched, we now understand that many factors play a role in its onset, including the following:
- Hereditary predisposition seems to be the biggest contributing factor. In other words, IBS tends to run in families and may happen to multiple family members.
- Lifestyle habits and choices can trigger or worsen IBS symptoms – alcohol, caffeine and tobacco are the three biggest culprits.
- The way in which the muscles in your intestines contract as they move food through your digestive tract. Stronger and longer contractions can cause gas, bloating and diarrhoea, while weak contractions can slow the passage of food and lead to hard, dry stools.
- The stomach nerves hold the reins of digestion, from stomach movements to the discharge of gastric juice. Every single stomach activity is subject to their direction and control. Did you know that a troubled stomach can send signals to the brain and immune system, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut and immune system? Therefore, stomach distress can be the cause of a person’s anxiety or stress, and vice versa.
When you become stressed and panicked, you can get sick easily and more frequently or you may get diarrhoea, ‘butterflies’, nervous stomach or even feel nauseas. That’s because your brain, immune system and digestive system are intimately connected. If they are irritated, hypersensitive, overreacting or misfiring due to exposure to stress or allergens, this can be expressed in some indigestion or digestive symptoms.
- IBS can be triggered following an episode of a food or waterborne illness caused by bacteria, virus, yeast, fungi or a parasite, also known as gastroenteritis.
- People who are exposed to stressful events, and even traumatic experiences during early childhood, are more likely to experience IBS symptoms.
- Gut microbial dysbiosis, including small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), can also cause IBS. Simply put, this means there is an imbalance of your gut flora, which is responsible for maintaining the health and functioning of your digestive system. Research suggests that the microbes in people with IBS might differ from those in people without IBS.
Managing the symptoms
Here are a few tips to help you better manage IBS.
- Reduce stress in the following ways:
- Relaxation (take a holiday, read or journal, listen to music, dance or enjoy a hobby)
- Mindfulness (do yoga or meditation)
- Breathing techniques (try slow deep breathing or belly breathing)
- Regular exercise (at the gym, home, backyard or outdoor in nature)
- Keep a personal wellness diary of your daily activities:
- Stress sensitivity and pressure levels (are you coping or not emotionally, physically or socially?)
- Eating or drinking patterns, including water intake
- Lifestyle habits (e.g. delaying or skipping meals, overeating, overdosing on coffee breaks and energy drinks, sleep patterns, smoking, alcohol, workout)
- Medications taken (any painkillers, laxatives, antibiotics, antacids, iron supplements?)
- Bowel movement changes (regularity and stool appearance, shape, colour or texture)
- Supplement and eat your gut happy with tailored gut-friendly nutrients such as:
- Prebiotics
- Probiotics
- Fibre
- Digestive enzymes
- Herbs
The bottom line
When it comes to living with IBS, knowledge certainly is power. Knowing your triggers and learning how to manage or avoid them, while taking good care of your health and wellbeing holistically, can help you minimise the impact of IBS on your quality life.
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