Irritable bowel syndrome can disrupt everyday life (Think
Stock photo)
If your abdomen
hurts or bloats when you eat a particular food, you may have
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
IBS is a disorder
that affects the intestines, causing symptoms such as abdominal
discomfort, bloating, diarrhoea or constipation, or a sensation of
incomplete bowel clearance. Symptoms vary from one person to the
next; some people experience only mild symptoms, while for others,
it can disrupt everyday life.
The exact causes
of IBS are unknown. "Individuals may have overly sensitive nerves
in the bowels; this causes muscles to contract too much after
eating and abdominal cramps occur," says Dr Ling
Khoon Lin, senior consultant, Department of Gastroenterology
and Hepatology, Singapore
General Hospital .
A condition that typically develops in early
adulthood
Other possible
causes could be food intolerance, yeast overgrowth or unfriendly
bacteria in the gut. In other cases, food is either forced through
the bowel quickly, causing diarrhoea; or passes too slowly
resulting in constipation. Stress could also be another
contributing factor.
Irritable bowel
syndrome cannot be diagnosed by standard tests. Diagnosis is
usually based on the patient's symptom history.
"While IBS can
affect people of any age, the condition develops commonly in
individuals aged between 20-30. In Singapore, almost one in 10
people suffers from IBS," says Ling.
Did you know? "Women
are twice as likely to suffer from IBS as men" (excerpt
from Beautiful Inside Out)
While IBS isn't
curable, it can be managed. Eating smaller meals and exercising aid
the digestive system, and could ease symptoms. More effectively,
the answer could be as simple as adjusting one's diet.
How to find and stick to a diet that will
help
The fundamental
idea behind an IBS-friendly diet is that you should avoid foods
that aggravate your intestines. While sounding simple, it can take
a while to figure it all out. But once you do, you'll find eating a
lot less of a task.
The following
steps will help you discover what foods you should and should not
eat.
The
elimination process
First, eliminate
from your diet the foods you suspect trigger symptoms. This can be
done sequentially. The list of foods to avoid includes:
Looking for yummy food ideas? Check out
Health Xchange's Healthy
Recipes section
Adding back foods
After the
elimination phase, you can re-introduce one-by-one the foods you
cut out. You'll know what works for you when what you eat doesn't
set off symptoms.
The grocery list
There is no
one-diet-fits-all for IBS, but this suggested list of foods might
ease symptoms.
Supplementing your diet
Various
supplements and over-the-counter medicines claim to ease symptoms
that plague IBS sufferers.
