Irritable bowel syndrome, known as IBS, is an uncomfortable condition that affects the digestive system. If you have this disorder, knowing more about it can certainly help you gain control of your diagnosis and reduce its symptoms. That’s why we’ll cover everything you need to know about irritable bowel syndrome, from what is IBS, to IBS symptoms and treatment, and more. You can also share your experiences with the disorder with us at Carecircle, and let others know how you manage your condition. Together, we can build a better tomorrow by creating tips and best practices to ease IBS.

What is IBS?

What we call irritable bowel syndrome is a group of symptoms that affect the digestive system. It is a common gastrointestinal disorder and a chronic condition that is typically long-lasting and requires long-term management. It is more common in your late teens to early 40s.

What are the symptoms of IBS?

Irritable bowel syndrome can greatly affect your daily life, causing frequent use of the bathroom and changes in bowel movements and stools. The main IBS symptoms include:

• Bloating and abdominal discomfort
• Stomach cramps
• Diarrhoea after eating
• Constipation
• Excessive gas
• Mucus in stools

Typically, these symptoms come and go, with some days being better than others, and other days (known as IBS flare-ups) being worse. The symptoms may be triggered by what you eat and drink as well. Other signs of IBS are:

• Difficulty in urinating – from sudden urges to pee, to feeling like you can’t empty your bladder, and a more frequent need to pee
• Backache, particularly in the lower regions
• Feeling sick, tired, and with a lack of energy
• Bowel incontinence – being unable to control when you need to go toilet
• Intolerance to certain foods
• Heartburn

IBS symptoms in females

Women can be twice as likely to develop IBS compared to men. And in addition to the above symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, women may also experience:

• Worse menstrual symptoms and worse IBS symptoms during periods
• Excessive need to urinate at night
• Pain whilst urinating
• Weakened muscles and tissue around the pelvis leading to a prolapse (pelvic organ prolapse)
• Harsh pain below the belly button (chronic pelvic pain)
• Pain during sex

These additional symptoms are likely because of female sex hormones. They can also become worse and more frequent around a woman’s menstrual cycle. Like IBS in general, these symptoms can often be managed by changes to your lifestyle and diet and through prescribed medicines.

IBS symptom checker

Whether you’re a female or a male, if you think you have irritable bowel syndrome, you should always visit your doctor to get a professional diagnosis. You can also follow our IBS symptom checker below, which can give you a good indication as to whether you have the disorder.

• Have your bowel habits changed?
• Do you get stomach cramps or pain?
• Do you frequently get constipated?
• Do you frequently have diarrhoea?
• Do you bloat and/or have excessive wind?
• Do you get heartburn and/or burp a lot?
• Do you need the toilet regularly and/or feel like you still need to go afterwards?
• Do your symptoms get worse when you’re anxious or stressed?
• Do your symptoms get better after visiting the toilet?

If you answered ‘yes’ to two or more of these questions, it’s possible you may have IBS. We recommend seeing your doctor to get a thorough check-up and a clinical diagnosis. And, if you:

• Have blood in your diarrhoea and/or from your bottom
• Lose lots of weight without a known reason
• Have a lack of appetite
• Feel short of breath, with heart palpitations
• Feel dizzy and/or are vomiting
• Have a swelling or a hard lump in your stomach

You should see your healthcare provider asap. These can be signs of other conditions that may need urgently checked and treated.

Join Carecircle for free and find help, hope, and control with your IBS diagnosis. Our global network for health makes you part of a worldwide community where your voice matters. Together, we can work toward a better future.

What causes IBS?

Currently, it is not known what the exact cause of IBS is. It does, however, have links to stress and an overly sensitive digestive and immune system. Changes in the gut microbiome are believed to play a central part as well. There are other risk factors too, including:

• If IBS is present in your family history
• Anxiety, stress, depression, and other mental health issues
• If you have an existing food intolerance
• Food poisoning
• Infections of the digestive tract (usually bacterial or parasitic)

How do you diagnose irritable bowel syndrome?

Unfortunately, there is no single test for irritable bowel syndrome. To diagnose IBS, your doctor will ask you similar questions as our irritable bowel syndrome symptom checker. You might feel a little embarrassed discussing your toilet habits with your clinician, but don’t worry they’ve heard such details countless times and it is important information they need to provide a proper diagnosis. They might even be able to diagnose the condition from just your symptoms.

They may also wish to feel your stomach area and take some tests to rule out the possibility of other causes. Your doctor may:

• Send you for blood tests to rule out celiac disease and anaemia
• Ask for a stool sample to rule out infection and parasites
• Send you for a colonoscopy to rule out potentially more serious conditions

Sign up to Carecircle for free and join our global network for health. Your story matters to us, as together we can share our lived experiences of IBS to help find better ways to treat it.

What’s the treatment for IBS?

Currently, there is no cure for irritable bowel syndrome. Instead, IBS treatment focuses on controlling and minimising IBS flare-ups. Usually, this treatment is in the form of lifestyle and diet changes, although there are medications available that can help as well. It’s also important to note that with IBS one person may find relief from a certain lifestyle change, where another does not. So, if you have IBS, it’s a good idea to keep trying potential treatments until you find what works for you.

If you have irritable bowel syndrome, the first thing your doctor is likely to do is ask you to keep a diary of the food you eat and when you get your symptoms. Writing this information down will help you see if there are certain foods that trigger an IBS flare-up. Other things you can do that may ease symptoms of IBS include:

• Getting plenty of exercise, sleep, and relaxation time
• Taking probiotics for a month to restore your friendly gut bacteria
• Eat fresh homemade meals,
• Avoid IBS trigger foods, such as processed, deep-fried, and spicy foods, as well as other junk foods
• Eating smaller meals
• Reduce your tea and coffee intake, as caffeine stimulates your intestines
• Similarly, reduce your alcohol intake
• Stop smoking
• Try a low FODMAP diet (see below)

Your health matters to us. Whilst we’ll tell you everything you need to know about irritable bowel syndrome, if you have IBS symptoms, please see your doctor for a diagnosis.

Become part of our global health revolution at Carecircle and find support from others living with IBS. Share your experiences with the condition and share what works for you. Together, we can help each other into a new tomorrow.

What’s the treatment for IBS?

Low FODMAP diet

FODMAP, or fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, are short-chain carbohydrates that the gut finds difficult to absorb and can rapidly ferment. The low FODMAP diet reduces these simple sugars, as these carbohydrates could be the trigger behind an IBS flare-up. Your doctor is likely to use a low FODMAP diet plan to eliminate specific FODMAP foods and food groups to find what exactly affects your IBS. It’s a process of elimination that takes time, but the results are often worth the effort.

High FODMAP foods to avoid include:

• Legumes, including beans and lentils
• Cereals, grains, and other wheat-based products
• Milk and ice cream
• Processed foods
• Highly-sugared sweets
• Select fruits and vegetables (such as apples, pears, mushrooms, and artichokes)

Low FODMAP foods to focus on in meal plans:

• Oats, rice, and quinoa
• Hard cheeses and cheeses, like brie, camembert, cheddar, and feta
• Eggs and meat
• Tofu
• Almond milk
• Certain vegetables, like aubergine, carrots, courgettes, cucumbers, lettuce, potatoes, and tomatoes
• Certain fruits, such as blueberries, grapes, kiwi fruit, oranges, pineapple, and strawberries

See your doctor if you plan to try a low FODMAP diet to help with IBS. They should be able to provide you with a more detailed list of foods, and be able to guide and help you in your journey.

The 3 types of IBS

There are 3 types of irritable bowel syndrome that clinicians use in their diagnosis and treatment of the condition. These types are based on the patient’s bowel movement during an IBS flare up.

• IBS-C: for constipation, is where you are mainly constipated during abnormal bowel movements
• IBS-D: for diarrhoea, is where you mainly have diarrhoea during abnormal bowel movements
• IBS-M: for mixed, is where you have both diarrhoea and constipation, alternating between the two during episodes of abnormal bowel movements

There is also what is known as post-infectious IBS, which is usually caused by food poisoning, bacterial, or parasitic infection of the digestive tract, causing irritable bowel syndrome. Post-infectious IBS typically has IBS-D symptoms.

The IBS diet focused on low FODMAP food groups has the potential to help all types of IBS. Take the time to find the right and wrong foods that work for your system. And do share your successes with us at Carecircle, so others living with IBS can see if it works for them too.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome & IBS FAQs

Here, we answer all your IBS frequently asked questions. We’ll get to the point and answer your queries directly so you can get the health information you need in an instant.

Do I have IBS?

Do you bloat? Experience changes in your bowel habits? Have constipation or diarrhoea? If so, you may have irritable bowel syndrome. Use our IBS symptom checker, and be sure to visit your doctor to get a professional diagnosis.

How to treat IBS?

Treatment for IBS can include going on a low FODMAP diet. Taking regular exercise. Sleeping well. Staying hydrated and relaxed. And trying probiotics to increase the healthy bacteria in your gut biome. A doctor may also prescribe you medications, such as anti-constipation or anti-diarrhoea drugs, antibiotics, pain relief, and muscle relaxants.

What are the worst foods for IBS?

The worst foods for IBS tend to be spicy, fatty, and processed foods, as well as high FODMAP foods. These can include milk and wheat-based products, legumes, and certain fruits and vegetables.

How to cure IBS in one day?

Unfortunately, you cannot cure IBS in one day. However, the condition can be eased and the symptoms reduced over time by making a few lifestyle changes. There are also medications that can help relieve IBS flare ups and symptoms.

IBS or IBD?

Although they have very similar acronyms, IBD, or inflammatory bowel disease, is a different condition to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Inflammatory bowel disease is mostly used for two long-term conditions that involve chronic inflammation of the gut: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Whilst IBS and IBD have crossover symptoms, such as diarrhoea, bloating, and cramps, inflammatory bowel disease has other symptoms, like weight loss, fever, and bloody stools. Consult your doctor if you show symptoms of IBD or IBS to get a professional diagnosis.

Do you have a question about irritable bowel syndrome you need answering? Join the conversation at Carecircle for free and become part of our supportive community, where you can talk with others living with IBS and ask us further questions on the condition.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS Resources

Below are some additional resources about IBS, which patients, carers, and interested individuals may wish to review. At Carecircle, we’ll always point you in the right direction towards further information that could bring greater help, hope, and control.

• https://www.theibsnetwork.org/
• https://aboutibs.org/
• https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/973643
• https://www.fodmapeveryday.com/
• https://www.gastrolondon.co.uk/irritable-bowel-syndrome/natural-remedies-for-ibs/
• https://www.ibspatient.org/
• https://gutscharity.org.uk/
• https://painconcern.org.uk/
• https://foodatheart.co.uk/ibs-support/
• https://www.wimhofmethod.com/
• https://gastrocenternj.com/can-intermittent-fasting-help-ibs/

People living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can help manage their symptoms by making some lifestyle changes – such as switching to a low FODMAP diet and increasing exercise whilst reducing stress. It may take time and there may be frustrations, flare-ups, and setbacks, but you can gain control over your diagnosis. And we at Carecircle are always here whenever you need additional help, support, and hope.

To comment, react, ask questions, or receive support from others living with IBS, join Carecircle for free. Become part of a global community for health and share your story.

Guide Sources:

• https://www.healthline.com/health/irritable-bowel-syndrome
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs/
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20360016#:~:text=Irritable%20bowel%20syndrome%20(IBS)%20is,need%20to%20manage%20long%20term
• https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/irritable-bowel-syndrome
• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4342-irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs
• https://aboutibs.org/what-is-ibs/
• https://aboutibs.org/
• https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/stomach-liver-and-gastrointestinal-tract/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs
• https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/irritable-bowel-syndrome-treatment
• https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/973643
• https://www.healthline.com/health/ibs-symptoms-in-females#takeaway
• https://www.theibsnetwork.org/