Yes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is considered a chronic illness. This means that you may need to maintain some lifestyle and dietary habits throughout your lifetime to help manage your symptoms.
For many people, symptoms of IBS come and go. Flare-ups are periods when you experience symptoms or they worsen, while remission is when your symptoms improve or completely go away.
IBS is also unpredictable, which means that flare-ups may occur without notice.
Some people, however, may constantly experience abdominal discomfort and other symptoms. This can greatly impact your quality of life and make it more difficult to manage personal, social, and professional relationships.
Several lifestyle and dietary habits can help you manage your symptoms. In some cases, a doctor can prescribe medications.
Many researchers and healthcare professionals have examined the role of diet in IBS.
Foods that contain FODMAPs are a common trigger of IBS symptoms like gas, bloating, cramping, and bowel changes. FODMAP is an acronym for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols.
Experts from MONASH University recommend a low-FODMAP diet, which may include eliminating certain foods and focusing on others. For instance, this may include:
- Eating: oats, skinless and seedless fruits and vegetables, cow’s milk alternatives, unseasoned proteins
- Limiting: cruciferous vegetables, wheat, barley, rye, beans, artificial sweeteners, cow’s milk
Consider maintaining a food diary to help you identify possible trigger foods. This may include recording the foods and the time you eat, as well as any symptoms you experience.
A healthcare professional or registered dietitian could also help you develop a dietary plan.
Several lifestyle habits can help you prevent or manage IBS flare-ups, including:
- exercising regularly
- quitting smoking, if you smoke
- trying probiotic supplements
- managing stress levels
- drinking plenty of water
- eating small, more frequent meals
Most people will be able to manage IBS with lifestyle and dietary changes alone. Since IBS is a condition that comes and goes, taking over-the-counter (OTC) medications can alleviate certain symptoms.
OTC drugs may vary depending on the type of diarrhea you have and the symptoms:
- Diarrhea (IBS-D): loperamide, fiber supplements, and bismuth subsalicylate
- Constipation (IBS-C): fiber, stool softeners, and laxatives
Although these treatments may help, only around 15% of people reported satisfaction with OTC drugs for IBS-D, and 18% for IBS-C.
In more severe cases, a doctor may prescribe a medication to manage certain symptoms of IBS. These include:
- IBS-D: alosetron or rifaximin
- IBS-C: linaclotide or lubiprostone
It’s important to remember that these medications won’t cure IBS, only manage symptoms.
Although IBS is a chronic condition, a doctor can help you develop a treatment plan that includes lifestyle and dietary habits, as well as medications.