Prevention for IBS

There are many IBS prevention that you can do yourself to relieve the symptoms of IBS. Prevention may involve:

• Change in diet
• Relief of stress

You should try a combination of things to see which works the best for you.

Change in Diet.

It is known that certain foods such as fatty foods like fries, dairy product, chocolates, alcohol, caffeine (coffee and soft drinks) and carbonated drinks may cause IBS symptoms. Take a note of you eat during the day, symptoms you get and occur and pick out any that cause any symptoms of IBS. Then eat less or stop eating them all together. You should see an improvement.

Fibrous foods tend to reduce IBS symptoms, especially constipation. This is because it makes stool soft, bulky and easier to pass through. There are two types of fibers: soluble and insoluble. Soluble means it dissolves in liquid. It helps to reduce constipation and diarrhea. On the other hand, insoluble fibers are found in bran, cereal, beans, fruits and vegetables. It should be notes that insoluble fibers may make diarrhea worse.

It is recommended that you increase your fiber intake slowly to you diet so your body can get use to it. Remember, too much fiber can cause gas, hence, triggering symptoms in IBS. If gas and bloating occurs it usually improves as you get used to eating fibrous food. As well as eating fresh food containing fiber, you can also take supplement fiber pill or mixing high fiber power in your drinks and foods.

Remember not to have large meals as this can cause cramping and diarrhea in some people with IBS. If this happens to you, eat smaller meals several times a day.

Stress Relief

Stress has some cause to IBS symptoms. So learning to reduce your stress can help you to manage your IBS symptoms. You would notice that the less stress you have the less cramping and pain you experience in the abdominal area.

Your healthcare provider can recommend you to do mediation, exercises or go to counseling to reduce your stress if necessary.

As IBS is a chronic (long-term) disease, your symptoms may return from time to time. It may be influenced by factors such as stress, diet and other environmental causes.