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Living with IBS is stressful, especially when you can’t get the symptoms under control. Learn more about prevalent IBS triggers and what to avoid to calm your gut and regulate your stomach.
According to the National Library of Medicine, up to 16% of Americans are living with irritable bowel syndrome. It’s a gut-brain disorder that leads to frequent abdominal pain and bouts of diarrhea and constipation.
Knowing your triggers is crucial for avoiding uncomfortable IBS symptoms, but it’s not always easy to find out. At Texas Digestive Disease Consultants, Dr. Ilyas Memon provides diagnostic tests and treatments for conditions such as IBS.
Understanding IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a condition that leads to chronic digestive issues. It’s a problem with the gut-brain connection that leads to various uncomfortable symptoms that include:
- Abdominal pain or cramping
- Bouts of diarrhea or constipation
- Sudden urgency to have a bowel movement
- Gas and bloating
- Mucus in the stool
The symptoms of IBS vary between people and range from mild discomfort to severe. Various things trigger IBS symptoms, including diet, lifestyle factors, genetics, and previous gut infections.
Prevalent IBS triggers
The key to managing IBS is understanding your unique triggers, as causes and symptoms differ for everyone.
When evaluating IBS, we help you identify whether your symptoms appear in certain situations. Some of the most common triggers for IBS include:
1. Fried or fatty foods
Excessively fatty foods and fried foods often lead to IBS flares, as the body can have difficulty digesting large amounts of fat. Greasy meals, such as those from fast food places or fried foods at the fair, can trigger symptoms like abdominal pain, gas, and bloating in people with IBS.
2. Anxiety and stress
Stress and anxiety are significant IBS triggers. When you feel anxious or stressed, the body’s response can lead to changes in gut function, which may worsen IBS symptoms. People living with IBS often experience more frequent symptoms during stressful periods.
3. Alcohol and caffeine
Both alcohol and caffeine are known to contribute to IBS symptoms. If you’re a two-cup-a-day coffee drinker or enjoy a beer or glass of wine regularly, they could be contributing to your symptoms.
4. Dairy products
People with IBS may also be lactose intolerant, meaning their bodies have trouble digesting lactose, the sugar in dairy products. This can result in symptoms like diarrhea or abdominal cramping after consuming milk, cheese, or ice cream.
5. Wheat or gluten
Even without having Celiac disease, many people with IBS are sensitive to wheat or gluten, which can cause symptoms like bloating, discomfort, or changes in bowel habits after eating breads, pasta, or other gluten-containing foods.
6. Artificial sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners, such as sorbitol and aspartame, can be difficult for some people with IBS to digest. Products labeled sugar-free often contain these sweeteners, which can cause bloating, gas, or diarrhea in people with IBS.
7. FODMAPS
FODMAPS are fermentable carbohydrates found in foods like onions, garlic, beans, wheat, and dairy. In people with IBS, these carbohydrates are poorly absorbed, leading to gas, bloating, and other symptoms when they are fermented by gut bacteria.
8. Changes in routine
Changes in routine, such as traveling or having irregular sleep patterns, can disrupt your digestive system. Many people with IBS experience symptom flares when their daily activities or schedules are different than usual.
9. Certain medications
People on antidepressants or antibiotics may experience flares in IBS. You can try switching medications to alleviate symptoms.
How to figure out your triggers
Identifying your specific triggers can be challenging, especially if you feel that many foods or activities cause symptoms like abdominal pain, gas, or diarrhea. One practical approach is to keep a food diary.
The diary allows you to track what you eat and write down any symptoms you experience. Over a few weeks, you should see a pattern with certain foods, which will give you an idea of symptom triggers.
It’s also important to note whether you have symptoms during high-stress periods or, for women, during their menstrual cycle. Although these triggers are more difficult to determine, it’s good to know lifestyle triggers of IBS as well as food triggers.
You can also try an elimination diet, where you remove certain foods for short periods to see if they’re causing symptoms. However, you must be precise in eliminating specific foods and food groups for the best results.
If you would like to discuss your IBS symptoms and learn about treatment options, call Texas Digestive Disease Consultants today or request a consultation with Dr. Memon on our website.