Are you suffering from pain in the abdomen and bloating? Has diarrhea turned you weak? If yes, you might be suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. And, if you are wondering how to manage this health condition, stress yourself no further. Read on to learn all about it.
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Besides the pain and discomfort that Irritable bowel syndrome causes, living while experiencing its symptoms daily can be challenging for anyone. For instance, you may experience guilt because you have to frequently cancel social engagements or you may feel lonely or isolated at home because of bathroom issues. Whatever challenges you experience, it is important to look for ways to address these issues healthily.
Many people with IBS practice yoga, meditation, and exercise. They eat a diet free from foods that trigger their symptoms. Unfortunately, there is no specific diet that will work for all people with IBS though some guidelines may help. But, by incorporating some healthy things into their lives, people with IBS can live happy and productive life.
IBS causes a lot of discomforts and disturbs your daily life. Besides coping with the discomfort, you may spend your day with unpredictable bowel movements or making accommodations so that you can eat and live without worsening your IBS symptoms. Keep reading to find some helpful strategies that can help you out to adjust and live the best life despite your IBS.
1. Relax Your Mind and Body to Manage Your Emotional State:
IBS can interfere with your ability to enjoy family meals and get-togethers with friends. It can affect your ability to be a parent or a partner that you would like to be or fulfill commitments that you have made. This can lead to a feeling of guilt and you may self-blame. Also, it can add to your stress. So, you cut yourself some slack. You are not making a point to miss out but the condition is preventing you to do so. Make accommodations that will help you relieve this emotional burden. For instance, ask others to serve as a backup should your bathroom issues prevent you from handling things the way you normally handle them. In many ways, a calmer mind means a calmer body and, in your case, a calmer gut. With this in mind, do your best to make up your mind for relaxation and activities that you enjoy as well.
2. Take Care of Your Physical State with Dietary Modifications
If you are suffering from IBS, you might be finding it difficult and confusing to figure out what foods can affect your health adversely. Certain food may not cause a discomforting symptom one day but might make you run to the bathroom the other day. In this way, deciding what changes you should make to your diet can be difficult, and coping with it can be difficult as well. Follow your doctor’s instructions as to what to eat and work following your doctor’s instructions as you try eliminating foods to see how they affect your IBS. Start and maintain a food diary so you can keep an eye on the foods that you eat and your symptoms
If constipation is your predominant issue, follow a regular schedule of meals to try to keep your intestines moving. You may find that eating a large meal with a hot drink and some healthy fats can serve as a trigger for a bowel movement. You may also want to follow the steps of bowel retraining to encourage your body to return to a state of regularity. If dealing with frequent diarrhea is your biggest challenge, you will want to focus on the activities that will keep your system calm. This means eating small meals for a few hours and following stress management techniques can help you. If your bathroom issues flip back and forth between diarrhea and constipation, you will want to use an approach that encompasses all the above tips. You will find it helpful to use bowel retraining and regular meal times as a way to help your body to be on a regular schedule.
Avoid fatty foods and other trigger foods, and make sure that you eat dietary fiber, particularly soluble fiber. If you are planning to try a low FODMAP diet, the elimination of foods that are high in certain carbohydrates for several weeks would work with the guidance of a qualified dietary professional for the best results.
3. Cope with the Pain:
The experience of having recurrent bouts of abdominal pain is a defining symptom of IBS. Working with your doctor on an overall treatment plan is a great start so that you can try to head off some symptoms whenever possible. But, when you find yourself dealing with bad cramps and spasm or other types of IBS pain, there are some things that you can do:
a.Try placing a hot bottle or heating pad over the abdomen over your clothing.
b.Sip some IBS-friendly herbal tea
c.Take a peppermint oil supplement. Peppermint oil has an antispasmodic effect in treating the spasms that lead to IBS pain.
d.Practice relaxation exercises, such as progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing, to help soothe the nervous system and reduce the pain.
These are the ways to cope up with Irritable bowel syndrome.
So, if you happen to suffer from IBS at any time, follow these helpful tips to obtain relief and enjoy a healthy and happy life.
