What is IBS?

What is IBS?-Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that affects the digestive system.
It causes symptoms like stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. These tend to come and go over time, and can last for days, weeks or months at a time.
It's usually a lifelong problem. It can be very frustrating to live with and can have a big impact on your everyday life.
There's no cure, but diet changes and medicines can often help control the symptoms.
The exact cause is unknown – it's been linked to things like food passing through your gut too quickly or too slowly, oversensitive nerves in your gut, stress and a family history of IBS.

Common irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms

The main symptoms of IBS are:

stomach pain or cramps – usually worse after eating and better after doing a poo
bloating – your tummy may feel uncomfortably full and swollen
diarrhoea – you may have watery poo and sometimes need to poo suddenly
constipation – you may strain when pooing and feel like you cannot empty your bowels fully

There may be days when your symptoms are better and days when they're worse (flare-ups). They may be triggered by food or drink.

Other symptoms of IBS

IBS can also cause:

farting (flatulence)
passing mucus from your bottom
tiredness and a lack of energy
feeling sick (nausea)
backache
problems peeing, like needing to pee often, sudden urges to pee, and feeling like you cannot fully empty your bladder
not always being able to control when you poo (bowel incontinence)

See a GP if you think you might have IBS

They can check for IBS and do some tests to rule out other problems.

Ask for an urgent appointment if you have:

lost a lot of weight for no reason
bleeding from your bottom or bloody diarrhoea
a hard lump or swelling in your tummy
shortness of breath, noticeable heartbeats (palpitations) and pale skin

These could be signs of something more serious.

What happens at your GP appointment

The GP will ask about your symptoms, such as:

what symptoms you have
if they come and go
how often you get them
when you get them (for example, after eating certain foods)
how long you've had them for

Information:

Before your appointment, it might help to write down details of your symptoms to help you remember them.

The GP may also feel your tummy to check for lumps or swelling.

Tests for IBS

There's no test for IBS, but you might need some tests to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms.

The GP may arrange:

a blood test to check for problems like coeliac disease
tests on a sample of your poo to check for infections and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

You will not usually need further tests in hospital unless the GP is not sure what the problem is.

What happens if you're diagnosed with IBS

If the GP thinks you have IBS, they'll talk to you about what it is and what the treatment options are.

It might be difficult to take in everything they tell you.

If you're unsure about something afterwards, write down any questions you have and make another appointment to go over them.

Diet, lifestyle and medicines

There's no single diet or medicine that works for everyone with IBS. But there are lots of things that can help if you have been diagnosed with it.

General tips to relieve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms

Do

cook homemade meals using fresh ingredients when you can
keep a diary of what you eat and any symptoms you get – try to avoid things that trigger your IBS
try to find ways to relax
get plenty of exercise
try probiotics for a month to see if they help

Don’t

do not delay or skip meals
do not eat too quickly
do not eat lots of fatty, spicy or processed foods
do not eat more than 3 portions of fresh fruit a day (a portion is 80g)
do not drink more than 3 cups of tea or coffee a day
do not drink lots of alcohol or fizzy drinks

How to ease bloating, cramps and farting

eat oats (such as porridge) regularly
eat up to 1 tablespoon of linseeds (whole or ground) a day
avoid foods that are hard to digest (like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, beans, onions and dried fruit)
avoid products containing a sweetener called sorbitol
ask a pharmacist about medicines that can help, like Buscopan or peppermint oil

How to reduce diarrhoea

cut down on high-fibre foods like wholegrain foods (such as brown bread and brown rice), nuts and seeds
avoid products containing a sweetener called sorbitol
ask a pharmacist about medicines that can help, like Imodium (loperamide)

Important

If you keep getting diarrhoea, make sure you drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

You can buy a key from The IBS Network shop or Disability Rights UK shop that can help you access public toilets if you get symptoms while away from home.

How to relieve constipation

drink plenty of water to help make your poo softer
increase how much soluble fibre you eat – good foods include oats, pulses, carrots, peeled potatoes and linseeds (whole or ground)
ask a pharmacist about medicines that can help (laxatives), like Fybogel or Normacol

See a GP if:

diet changes and pharmacy medicines are not helping
you need to avoid lots of different foods to control your symptoms

They may refer you to a dietitian or specialist for advice, and can also suggest other treatments to try.

Seeing a dietitian for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

A GP may refer you to an NHS dietitian if general diet tips for IBS, such as avoiding foods that trigger your symptoms, are not helping.

They can suggest other changes you can make to your diet to ease your symptoms.

Low FODMAP diet

A dietitian may recommend a diet called a low FODMAP diet.

This involves avoiding foods that are not easily broken down by the gut, such as some types of:

fruit and vegetables
milk
wheat products

Find out more:

You can also watch an NHS video guide to the low FODMAP diet.

All information has been provided by the NHS