Hey guys, my name is Dr. Sam
and today I will be talking all about
Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
How do you know if you have IBS?
What are the symptoms and foods that trigger IBS?
Also what is the best treatment
for Irritable bowel syndrome?
So stick around and I'll give you the lowdown!
What is irritable bowel syndrome?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS is a
very common condition that affects the gut
and makes it upset.
It can happen at any age,
but most often first develops in young adulthood.
It affects about 20%
of people at some point in their lives.
But usually is a chronic condition that
continues long-term.
What are the symptoms of IBS?
There are three typical symptoms
people with IBS get which are:
1. Bouts of pain and discomfort in their abdomen.
2. Bloating and passing more wind than usual.
3. Change in stools.
So either bouts of diarrhea,
bouts of constipation or both.
The classic patient I see with IBS
describe having a particular trigger,
which sets off sudden onset crampy stomach pain
and then they rush to the toilet to
pass a bowel motion which is watery or very loose.
Once the stools are passed,
the pain eases greatly and they feel much better.
Just so you know, there can be other
associated IBS symptoms as well,
which I will list in the description for you.
It's very common
to experience constipation symptoms with IBS.
How do you know if you have IBS?
Oh, good question!
There isn't a specific test for IBS.
Usually, it's diagnosed based on the typical symptoms.
So often your doctor will rule out other causes first
with blood tests, or maybe after a colonoscopy.
When they haven't been able to find a cause
for your symptoms, they make the diagnosis then.
What causes IBS?
Well, the exact cause isn't known.
In some people it seems to start after an infection
of the gut, like after a tummy bug or Gastroenteritis.
In others, it starts after a stressful life event.
There are also theories that the colon is overly
sensitive to hormones like serotonin or pain.
What are the foods that trigger IBS?
I'll list everything in the description
for you, because there are quite a few.
Just keep in mind that you will often
know yourself which foods trigger your
IBS symptoms.
If you aren't sure, make a note of the foods
that you've eaten immediately prior to the bouts of pain.
This will help you track your symptoms
and I'd also keep a note of activities
that might be related too.
Broadly the triggers can be broken down into:
constipation triggers and diarrhoea triggers.
And the big triggers that cause both types are:
alcohol, coffee, carbonated drinks,
dairy products and processed or fatty foods.
But have a look in the description
for all of the food triggers.
What is the best treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Okay, I have to confess that this question
is very close to my heart as I have IBS too
and over the years I've experimented with lots of
different treatments to figure out what works.
So first up - lifestyle.
I cannot emphasize enough how important
these next three points are for managing IBS.
So please listen up.
1. Exercise.
Maintaining a regular exercise schedule
whatever you enjoy doing,
whether it's walking, running, swimming.
Just get out there three times a week.
Exercise will help improve IBS symptoms
and it is great for your immune system
and general health.
The second one is managing stress levels.
Now, this is my kriptonite!
And sometimes I don't even realize that I'm
stressed until I get IBS symptoms.
Stress and strong emotions trigger IBS.
Now you have to be honest with yourself
and acknowledge that there is something
on your mind that is bothering you
enough to cause symptoms.
Personally, I know once I deal with the
stressful underlying issue,
the IBS symptoms resolve.
3. Diet
It's not surprising really that a gut problem
has a food solution.
The low FODMAP diet is a strong evidence-based
treatment for IBS.
A FODMAP
A FODMAP is an acronym that stands
for fancy scientific terms which
classify groups of carbs that are
notorious for triggering digestive symptoms.
Like bloating, gas and stomach pain.
Fodmaps are in many different foods in varying amounts.
If you want to look for foods that have low amounts
of FODMAPs.
If you follow a low fodmap diet
your odds of improving stomach pain and bloating are
81 percent and 75 percent respectively.
I'll link more info about the low fodmap diet
in the description.
To start this diet often you need help from a dietician
as there is quite a bit to it.
Finally, there are medications for IBS.
As you might already know from my other videos,
I prefer to avoid pills if possible,
but I wanted to mention some of the medication
treatments quickly so you have a complete overview.
I'll link the name of these specific medications
for each group in the description.
So firstly, there's antispasmodic medications
and these help relax the muscles in the wall of the gut,
and work to help abdominal pain.
Constipation medicines, particularly Linaclotide
or Linzess helps reduce pain, bloating and constipation.
Then there's anti-diarrheals.
These help slow down diarrhea.
Most commonly Loperamide is used.
Fourthly, there's Bloating.
Peppermint oil helps with wind and bloating,
along with abdominal spasms.
Then there's antidepressants.
There is good evidence that antidepressants are
effective for the treatment of IBS.
Often low dose tricyclic antidepressants are
prescribed to help with the pain of IBS.
Finally, probiotics.
Definitely have a role in helping symptoms of IBS.
You can check out my other video on
probiotics for more information.
So one thing I'd also like to mention
about the medication treatments,
is that they tend to be reactive.
Meaning they will treat symptoms
after they've happened,
rather than prevent IBS symptoms.
This is why I believe that lifestyle measures
are absolutely crucial.
But in saying this,
I know many of you will be badly
affected by IBS
and want to try anything to help improve
the way you feel.
I don't blame you at all!
For most people with IBS,
it's somewhat trial and error with different treatments
to get symptoms to a manageable place.
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what you enjoyed about this video,
or what you want to learn more about.
Feel free to check out some of my other videos
on Gut Health.
Thanks for watching and I'll see you very soon :)