Although it is a chronic disease, with some healthy habits, you can improve your quality of life.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, popularly known as IBS, is a functional bowel disorder, usually with a component of nervous origin, consisting of hypersensitivity of the colon, which produces a series of painful digestive reactions, particularly after meals or when nervous. These include abdominal pain, flatulence, bloating, constipation and/or diarrhoea.

It is a qualitative imbalance, with loss of the structure of the intestinal wall and abnormal hyperstimulation of the immune system associated with the intestine. Inefficiency of the intestinal microbiota system / wall / immune system, is the pathogenic cause of this condition and its complications.

These functional conditions are diagnosed after a thorough study of the patient’s gastrointestinal symptoms, ruling out an underlying disease such as cancer, inflammation, and infection or allergic reaction (adult coeliac disease, lactose intolerance or gastritis). Blood tests, visual examination methods (endoscopy, radiology …) and even mucosal biopsies, among others, are performed before making the diagnosis. In the absence of other relevant data, the diagnosis is made, but current treatments focus on those who have chronic IBS.

How to live with irritable bowel syndrome

There is no definitive solution to tackle the disorder, and treatment consists of medications, diet and health tips to relieve the symptoms.

1. Get advice from your doctor

See a digestive tract specialist to obtain an accurate diagnosis and treatment and a nutritionist to get a suitable diet. Patients must trust their doctors and other healthcare providers to get useful data for the diagnosis and successive tests.

Although there is no medicine that fixes the condition, depending on the symptoms, your doctor can prescribe certain drugs that may reduce the discomfort.

2. Take your time

Set yourself a timetable for meals, rest, and regular times for bowel movements. Allow yourself sufficient time and relaxation for eating, resting, digestion and using the bathroom, which will help you to be more regular and less stressed.

3. Get exercise

Exercise regularly and always according to your physical condition. If you are in good shape, you can exercise at the gym every week, go jogging, cycling, etc, but if you don’t have as much athletic ability, start by walking or swimming and gradually speed up.

4. Keep a journal

Keep a personal diary of habits and symptoms. It is a great tool for understanding your body and detecting how to respond to different situations. You can record everything from the food you eat and the exercises you do, to the medications you take and your general state of health. This will help you to see links that may have gone unnoticed (for example, “stomach pain increases when I drink coffee”).

5. Watch what you eat

Avoids tricky foods that tend to irritate the colon, such as hot and spicy foods, highly seasoned and greasy, fried foods, coffee, fizzy drinks, sweeteners (with sorbitol) and alcohol. Other foodstuffs that may cause trouble are eggs, milk, wheat and nuts.

You don’t have to cut them out entirely, but stick to moderate amounts. Replace them with more fruits and vegetables, gradually observing their effect on your body. Don’t forget to drink between 1.5 and 2 litres of water a day, which will keep you well hydrated.

6. Learn how to manage stress

Analyse situations that cause you anxiety and find solutions or professional advice to lead a more peaceful life and to learn how to manage stress (when this triggers the symptoms), how to learn to live with it and keep it under control.

Relaxation therapies such as yoga, meditation and mindfulness are highly recommended in these cases. Finally, try not to isolate yourself from the world, surround yourself with friends and family who make you feel calm and loved.

There is no drug to cure Irritable bowel syndrome, or a diet that will make it disappear. But these recommendations can improve symptoms and, therefore, sufferers’ quality of life.

This post is also available in: Spanish