Article title: IBS: NIDDK
Conditions: Irritable bowel syndrome, bowel, abdomen
Source: NIDDK
IBS is not a disease. It's a functional disorder, which means that the bowel doesn't work as it should.
With IBS, the nerves and muscles in the bowel are extra-sensitive. For example, the muscles may contract too much when you eat. These contractions can cause cramping and diarrhea during or shortly after a meal. Or the nerves can be overly sensitive to the stretching of the bowel (because of gas, for example). Cramping or pain can result.
Women with IBS often have more symptoms during their menstrual periods.
Most people have either diarrhea or constipation, but some people
have both.
Other symptoms are
You may have to try a combination of things to see which works best for you.
Here are some foods that may cause symptoms:
These foods may make
IBS worse.
If certain foods cause symptoms, you should eat less of them or stop
eating them.
To find out which foods are a problem, write down
this information:
Take your notes to the doctor to see if you should stop eating certain
foods. Some foods make IBS better.
Fiber reduces IBS
symptoms--especially constipation--because it makes stool soft, bulky, and
easier to pass. Fiber is found in bran, bread, cereal, beans, fruit, and
vegetables.
Here are some examples of foods with fiber:
| Fruits | Vegetables | Breads, cereals, and beans |
|---|---|---|
| Apples Peaches |
Broccoli, raw Cabbage Carrots, raw Peas |
Kidney beans Lima beans Whole-grain bread Whole-grain cereal |
Add foods with fiber to your diet a little at a time to let your body get used to them. Too much fiber all at once might cause gas, which can trigger symptoms in a person with IBS.
Besides telling you to eat more foods with fiber, the doctor might also tell you to get more fiber by taking a fiber pill or drinking water mixed with a special high-fiber powder.
How much you eat matters, too.
Large meals can cause cramping and diarrhea in people with IBS. If this happens to you, try eating four or five small meals a day. Or, have your usual three meals, but eat less at each meal.
You must follow your doctor's instructions when you use these medicines. Otherwise, you could become dependent on them.
Meditation, exercise, and counseling are some things that might help.
You may need to try different activities to see what works best for you.
Barium enema (BAR-ee-um EN-uh-muh): An x ray of the bowel using a liquid called barium to make the bowel show up better. This test is also called an upper GI (for gastrointestinal) series.
Bowel: The part of the digestive system that makes and stores stool. It is also called the large intestine.
Endoscopy (en-DAH-skuh-pee): A test to look at the inside of the bowel.
Functional: Refers to how something works.
Mucus: A clear, sticky discharge. It might look white.
Syndrome(SIN-drome): A group of symptoms.
International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
(IFFGD)
P.O. Box 17864
Milwaukee, WI 53217
Phone: (414)
964-1799 or 1-888-964-2001
Fax: (414) 964-7176
Email: iffgd@iffgd.org
Internet: http://www.iffgd.org/
Also, the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), which prepared this booklet, has a fact sheet on IBS. You can get a copy by contacting
NDDIC
2 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3570
Phone:
1-800-891-5389 or (301) 654-3810
Fax: (301) 907-8906
Email: nddic@info.niddk.nih.gov
Internet:
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
Nancy Norton
President
International Foundation for Functional
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Milwaukee, WI
Douglas A. Drossman,
M.D.
Co-Director
UNC Center for Functional GI and Motility
Disorders
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill,
NC
Salvation Army, SE Corps
Washington, DC
2 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3570
Email: nddic@info.niddk.nih.gov
The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1980, the clearinghouse provides information about digestive diseases to people with digestive disorders and to their families, health care professionals, and the public. NDDIC answers inquiries, develops and distributes publications, and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate resources about digestive diseases.
Publications produced by the clearinghouse are carefully reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts.
This e-text is not copyrighted. The clearinghouse encourages users of this e-pub to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired.
NIH Publication No. 01-4686
March 2001
Posted: May 2001
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