IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a very common disorder. And it’s not unusual in the United States either. In fact, as many as one in every five Americans suffers from the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome by some accounts. Which is why people strive to identify irritable bowel syndrome treatment options.

What You Can Do To Extinguish the Symptoms

Frankly speaking, there is no outright cure for irritable bowel syndrome. Once you’ve developed it, it stays with you for the rest of your life as a chronic problem. And what’s worse, no one knows what causes it. However, there are things you can do to keep the symptoms, if not completely in check, at least at a low ebb so that they are not so disruptive to life as you know it. You want to think in terms of management rather than cure. With that in mind let’s look at some things you can do to manage the situation.

First, watch your diet. Certain foods are known as “trigger foods” that tend to make IBS symptoms more severe. Foods that should be checked for elimination from your diet include dairy products like milk, ice cream, cheese, and butter; caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee and certain carbonated drinks; food containing gluten; chocolate; gas-producing vegetables; and whole wheat grains.

The approach to use would be to test a food group. Eliminate it entirely then eat something on the list of problematic foods in that group and see what happens. Keep in mind that your metabolism is unique. Symptoms, if any are going to show up, may arrive in a matter of hours a take day even. Plus it could be the amount of food involved. There’s an amount threshold you have to exceed before symptoms are triggered. All this is only learned over time by observing your reaction to things.

Aside from foods to put on a watch list there are foods to include in your diet. That would be be those containing soluble fiber. Soluble fiber like you get from most fruits and vegetables.

Also anything considered as a probiotic may also be good for reducing your symptoms. They seem to be especially helpful for those who tend more towards symptoms of constipation. Probiotics are usually obtained from fermented food sources like yogurt, sauerkraut, miso, kimchi, and tempeh. What you’re doing is introducing beneficial bacteria into your digestive tract to help regulate things.

Another irritable bowel syndrome treatment you can do is to learn how to cope with stress. That’s right. Stress has been found to not only cause several diseases, it has been found to worsen IBS symptoms. Sometimes, IBS patients who suffer from severe symptoms are also given anti-depressants in an attempt to lessen the problem.

Finally to relieve constipation and diarrhea, which are common symptoms of IBS, you can resort to over-the-counter medications. If you’re suffering from intestinal muscle spasms, you can also be prescribed an antispasmodic medication to treat the symptoms.

Unfortunately there is no silver bullet here. There is no one best approach that works for everyone. Successful management often involves a combination of things that you identify over time as helpful in consultation with your doctor. Again, there is no cure for this kind of functional disorder. But at least you can seek ways to ease the symptoms trying these different irritable bowel syndrome treatment approaches.