Do you suffer from stomach pains, bloating, cramping, nausea or diarrhea/constipation? You’re not alone. Everyone experiences bowel changes now and then. But for those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the symptoms can be severe, unpredictable, disruptive and inconvenient.
It’s one of the most common gastrointestinal (GI) conditions.
IBS is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder that affects between 10 -15 percent of people in the United States, according to the
American College of Gastroenterology. Most people with IBS are under the age of 50, but many older adults experience it as well. Some reports estimate that 20 - 40 percent of all visits to gastroenterologists are due to IBS symptoms.
Previously referred to as a functional gastrointestinal disorder, IBS is now categorized as “a disorder of the gut-brain interaction,” said
Rachel Dayan, physician assistant with the
Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders Program at Yale New Haven Hospital.
“IBS is characterized by chronic abdominal pain at least once per week that is related to bowel movements and is associated with a change in the form or frequency of the stool – either diarrhea or constipation,” she said.
IBS is different from IBD.
It is important to know that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are not the same. Both are chronic conditions that affect the gastrointestinal tract. They share some symptoms, including stomach pain and changes in bowel movements, but there is a major difference between the two. IBS does not cause inflammation or symptoms in other parts of the body beyond the GI tract. IBD does.
IBD is a term for a group of chronic diseases that affect the intestines. IBD occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy bowel cells. This causes inflammation and other damage that does not go away on its own. The main types of IBD are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. IBD can result in rectal bleeding, fever, an elevated white blood cell count, diarrhea and cramping abdominal pain. “Your doctor can run some basic tests to rule out IBD,” Dayan said.
Refer to this symptoms chart to help differentiate between IBS and IBD:
.
| Symptoms: IBS vs. IBD
|
| IBS |
IBD |
| Bloating |
Blood in stool |
| |
|
| Cramps or abdominal pain, improves with bowel movements |
Cramps and abdominal pain |
| Diarrhea or constipation - sometimes alternating |
Diarrhea |
| Gas |
Fatigue |
| Mucus in stool |
Mouth sores |
| |
Reduced appetite and weight-loss |
There are four different types of IBS.
Everyone with IBS experiences different symptoms in different ways. According to the National Institutes of Health. IBS is grouped into four types:
- IBS-D (IBS with diarrhea). People with IBS-D may often have loose stool, cramps/belly pain, and the urgent need to move their bowels. This is the most common type of IBS.
- IBS-C (IBS with constipation). People with IBS-C may experience constipation and hard stool as their predominant symptoms.
- IBS-M (IBS with mixed bowel habits). In this type, people may have symptoms of both IBS-D and IBS-C.
- IBS-U (IBS with undefined bowel habits). People with this type of IBS experience irregular and unpredictable IBS symptoms that don’t fit into one of the other three categories.
IBS has many triggers.
Medicine has yet to determine the direct cause of IBS. Studies suggest that IBD may develop from a disturbance in the way the gut, brain and nervous system interact. This disturbance can cause changes in normal bowel movement and sensation.
According to Dayan, other possible causes may include an imbalance in the microorganisms that live in your gut; the abnormal movement of food through the GI tract; or an inflammation that results in a sensitivity of the nerves attached to the GI tract.
Stress doesn’t cause IBS, but it can worsen or trigger symptoms.
“Consuming foods high in fermentable carbohydrates may also be a trigger,” said Dayan. Fermentable carbohydrates are sugars and other carbohydrates that can be broke down by bacteria in the gut.
There’s no cure for IBS, but it can be treated.
Treatment for IBS depends on your triggers and symptoms. Your physician may recommend prescription medication and lifestyle changes. Diet, stress management and adequate sleep also are important. Other treatments may include brain-gut behavioral therapies provided by a specialized GI psychologist or through a digital app.
Avoid These Foods if You Have IBS
While there is no cure for IBS, there are certain foods that can make symptoms worse, according to Max Goldstein, RD, chef dietitian at Yale New Haven Health’s Irving and Alice Brown Teaching Kitchen.
“Many patients with IBS associate their symptoms with eating and try to ease their symptoms by avoiding certain foods,” he said.
Goldstein recommends working with your healthcare provider to determine what foods may trigger IBS symptoms. “An elimination diet involves removing multiple foods out of your daily diet and then slowly reintroducing them,” he said.
The list of trigger foods varies from person to person, but if you suffer from IBS you may want to pay special attention to:
- Dairy products such as milk, cheese and ice cream
- Fried or greasy foods
- Spicy foods
- Caffeine (coffee, tea, cola drinks, chocolate)
- Alliums (a group of plants that include onions, garlic, leeks, chives and shallots)
- High FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) foods, which include certain carbohydrates that some people find difficult to digest
Yale New Haven Health will host “Friendly Cooking For IBS,” a virtual cooking class on April 9 from 5:30 – 6:30 pm. Registered dietitians at Yale New Haven Health’s Irving and Alice Brown Teaching Kitchen will discuss the benefits of the low-FODMAP diet, share cooking tips and ingredients and demonstrate how to prepare a low-FODMAP meal that may help reduce digestive issues. Register online for “Friendly Cooking for IBS.” You will receive a confirmation email with a Zoom link when you submit the registration.
