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Some food may worsen the symptoms, but different patients find different things cause trouble with their irritable bowel syndrome. Keeping a diary of symptoms related to food eaten may help. This way it is easier to find out which things disagree with your bowels and what you should avoid. Fatty foods strongly stimulate the bowel to contract and are commonly found to cause problems by people with IBS. Avoidance of oils, butter, margarine, cream, sausages and fatty meats may help relieve symptoms. Beans and legumes are causes of problems for some patients as well. Artificial sweeteners may cause problems, as can the sugar in certain fruits. If this happened to you, try to avoid this kind of foods.
Caffeine in tea and coffee, as well as alcohol, may aggravate symptoms in some people with IBS. In some cases, people may also have a disease called lactose intolerance. This disease prevents them being able to take unprocessed milk products. A good diet is usually one high in carbohydrate, low in fat, and high in fibers. Since the cause of IBS is unknown, it is not possible to prevent the condition reliably.
Does stress play a part in IBS?
Stress may intensify bowel contractions, and there is some evidence that people with irritable bowel syndrome do not handle stress as well as others. This is not surprising given that sufferers do not feel well at all. In fact, it may be surprising that people with irritable bowel syndrome are not under greater stress then others. Managing stress effectively, especially when it relates to human health, is an individual matter. Breaking any stress feedback cycle is important. Remembering that IBS is not associated with any more serious or life-threatening underlying bowel disease is a good place to start.
A patient might find help through relaxation, or perhaps just by taking regular physical exercise. Adequate sleep and avoidance of fatigue is something each doctor recommends. Meditation may be of assistance in handling life’s stresses, and it is of great help for some people with IBS. Avoiding stressful situations, learning new ways of coping with them, or using biofeedback to control one’s response may all have roles to play in this problem. Remember to consider the possibility that you’re lacking important essential vitamins and minerals. This might be especially important for people who avoid milk products, as they may miss calcium. These people should take additional calcium supplements to relieve possible symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.