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- What is IBS?
- Symptoms of IBS
- Causes of IBS
- Prevention of IBS
- Risk factors for IBS
- Complications of IBS
- When to see a doctor about IBS
- Diagnosis of IBS
- Conventional treatment of IBS
- Alternative/complementary treatment of IBS
- Living with IBS
- Caring for someone with IBS
Prevention of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be unpreventable in certain circumstances:
- Gastroenteritis - in some cases, irritable bowel syndrome develops after a bout of viral or bacterial gastroenteritis and this is largely unpreventable (other than having a strong and healthy immune system that prevents deterioration of the digestive system in the first place)
- Genetics - a very small number of cases of IBS are inherited from family members due to a gene problem
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There are ways to possibly prevent IBS from occuring or at least reduce severity and duration of symptoms :
- Diet - while diet is not a currently known cause of irritable bowel syndrome, it is known that following a diet that includes mostly fresh, unprocessed and low fat foods, with plenty of soluble fibre, such as psyillium (that has been gradually added to the diet) and avoiding high fat, high GI, processed foods seems to help reduce incidence of symptoms
- Stress - while not directly causing irritable bowel syndrome in the first place, stress can aggravate it and make the symptoms much worse, so reducing stress is encouraged through some type of relaxation therapy (meditation, tai chi, yoga are all good examples)
- Sweeteners - some recent research suggest that IBS symptoms may be triggered by artificial sweeteners (saccharin, aspartame, sorbitol), so these should be avoided when symptoms are at their worst and strictly limited at other times, to prevent worsening of symptoms
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< 3: causes 5: risk factors > Last reviewed: 28 September 2008 || Last updated: 2 February 2009
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NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
