Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a digestive condition that can cause discomfort to sufferers.
Medical professionals use the common symptoms associated with the disease as a driving factor in diagnosis and can help patients formulate a plan that prevents IBS from negatively affecting their quality of life.
While there is no cure for IBS, there are many adjustments to diet and behavior that can be implemented that have proven successful in reducing symptoms.
Here’s why you’re bloated — and what to do about this common digestive condition.
Read more about IBS diagnosis and symptoms below.
- How is IBS diagnosed?
- How to fix IBS?
- Does IBS go away?
If you have persistent digestive problems, talking about your symptoms with your doctor can help you determine a diagnosis. (iStock)
1. How is IBS diagnosed?
There is no single test used to diagnose IBS.
However, doctors diagnose IBS by talking about the symptoms the patient is experiencing.
“We make the diagnosis mainly based on symptoms, and there are criteria called the Rome criteria, which were developed by a group of experts around the world for the classification of gut-brain interaction disorders,” said Dr. Laurence Bailen, head of gastroenterology and hepatology at Newton Wellesley. The hospital in Newton, Massachusetts, part of the Mass General Brigham system, told Fox News Digital in a phone interview.
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“All people with irritable bowel syndrome should have abdominal pain as one of their main symptoms and associated with abdominal pain, they will experience bowel dysfunction,” said Bailen.
“They will either have constipation or they will have diarrhea, or there is a group of patients who have a mixture between alternating diarrhea and constipation.”
If you have long-term digestive problems that affect your overall well-being, it is very important to talk to your doctor and start finding answers to why these problems occur.
IBS is usually diagnosed based on the patient’s symptoms. (iStock)
2. How to fix IBS?
There are many ways to help with IBS symptoms.
The main ways to treat IBS can be divided into three distinct categories: dietary and lifestyle adjustments, behavior modification and medication, according to Bailen.
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“From a dietary point of view, one of the main diets recommended and shown to be beneficial for people with IBS in clinical studies is the so-called low FODMAP diet, which is an acronym for fermentation, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols,” said Bailen.
“These are basic food ingredients. There are fruits, vegetables, artificial sweeteners, foods that contain certain gluten, which have been shown to be more difficult to digest and absorb,” Bailen continued. “By eliminating these types of foods, and focusing on foods that have lower FODMAPs, that improves the symptoms of abdominal discomfort and bloating that are very typical of IBS.
Beyond diet, there are other lifestyle changes that IBS patients can make to reduce their symptoms.
For those with IBS, changes in diet can help with uncomfortable symptoms. (iStock)
These include practices known to reduce stress, such as acupuncture, meditation and yoga, as well as talking to a therapist, Bailen said.
Along with diet and lifestyle changes, those with IBS are usually prescribed medication, which will be tailored to the individual’s primary symptoms, Bailen added.
3. Does IBS go away?
IBS is a condition that usually stays with an individual for life.
Typically, IBS appears at a younger age, most commonly appearing in people in their young to late 30s, Bailen said.
For older IBS patients, Bailen said they are usually diagnosed later because they live with IBS, without consulting a doctor.
Practicing mindfulness through yoga and meditation can help ease common IBS symptoms. (iStock)
While common among IBS patients, the condition affects each person differently.
For example, when it comes to food sensitivities, not all IBS patients experience the same pain.
“There are some patients who can tolerate the foods on the low FODMAP diet, and other patients who can’t, so it’s very variable,” says Bailen.
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While each patient’s experience will be different, there are foods on a general scale that people with IBS should avoid.
But, in general, avoid high-fat foods,” says Bailen.
“So fried foods, oily, greasy foods are usually poorly tolerated, just because they’re common, they’re harder to digest and absorb by the gut. Other foods that tend to be a big problem can be artificial sweeteners.”
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“Ultimately, lactose intolerance is very common and is the most common food intolerance,” Bailen added.
“It can also worsen symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.”
