While irritable bowel syndrome isn’t a life-threatening condition, it can certainly disrupt your daily life and lead to some uncomfortable moments at the worst possible times. Because IBS symptoms can seemingly strike out of nowhere, patients may struggle at work or in social settings, either because symptoms develop or simply because of the fear or an episode at the wrong time. However, if you take a few precautions and you make some smart choices, you can make it easier to live a normal life despite your diagnosis. In today’s blog, we share some tips on how you can keep irritable bowel syndrome from disrupting your life.
How To Manage Your IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome can be triggered by a number of different factors, but oftentimes the underlying cause is a change in your gut bacteria. Our gut bacteria can be affected by a number of different things, including what we eat, how we eat and other outside influences like stress and physical activity. The key is to work towards isolating some of these possible triggers and learn to recognize what causes or alleviates symptoms. With that in mind, here are some ways to manage your IBS.
- Food Journal – Different foods and drinks can trigger an IBS episode, so it’s oftentimes helpful to write down what you eat for meals so you can learn more about which foods your stomach handles well and which ones may trigger a flare up. You can keep a hard copy journal, or you can download a free food journal app so that you always have it with you so long as you have your phone.
- Destress – Stress and anxiety can also trigger IBS symptoms, and while it’s easier said than done to tell a patient to find a healthy way to manage stress, that’s what you need to do. Whether that’s through exercise, medication, deep breathing exercises or eliminating sources of stress from your life, you may find that your IBS is less of an issue when you find healthy outlets to manage stress.
- Exercise – Regular exercise has also been shown to help regulate your metabolism and ease certain digestive processes, which can help you manage your IBS. If you’re worried about having a flareup while you’re out for a run or at the gym, consider some home-based exercise routines or invest in a treadmill or elliptical so that you can stay active and still be near a bathroom in case of a flare up.
- Avoid Excess Sugar – While everyone will have their own trigger foods that you can uncover with the help of your pain journal, foods that are high in sugar can really throw off the delicate balance of bacteria in our gut. Really work to limit your intake of sugary foods and drinks, and odds are you’ll have more control over your IBS.
- Consult With A Specialist – Although tens of thousands of Americans deal with IBS symptoms on a daily basis, the condition is highly unique to the individual, so your best bet is to seek out a consultation with a specialist who can see you in person and develop a treatment plan tailored to your needs. Dr. Bhatti did just that for Aryan, who had visited numerous doctors in an attempt to get his IBS under control to no avail. Dr. Bhatti was able to help Aryan really get to the bottom of his gut issues and develop a treatment and prevention plan that greatly reduced how often he needed to go to the bathroom each day. “Dr. Bhatti has honestly changed my life. He’s the first doctor that’s actually helped me with my IBS condition,” said Aryan of his experience with our team. Know that you don’t have to try to deal with IBS on your own, and there are professionals out there who can help you get the condition under control.
For more information about how you can manage and prevent IBS episodes, or to talk to a specialist about a digestive issue that you’re experiencing, reach out to Dr. Bhatti and the team at Bhatti GI Consultants today at (952) 438-3800.
