Dealing with an irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) flare-up can be confusing, stressful, and for some, incredibly traumatic. Still, gaining an understanding of the causes or triggers behind a flare can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
Here’s your comprehensive guide to IBS flare-ups and how to manage them.
Understanding Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
IBS is a gastrointestinal condition that affects the stomach and intestines, causing discomfort. Symptoms like cramping, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation can occur from days to weeks.
The exact cause of IBS is still unclear. However, the leading theory is that IBS stems from a disruption to the gut-brain axis, referring to the intricate between the nervous system and the intestinal immune system. A common characteristic of IBS is the reduced integrity of the mucosal barrier, which allows antigens to pass from the intestinal lumen and set off the immune system. This begins a cycle of continued gut barrier permeability and chronic digestive symptoms, including visceral hypersensitivity.
IBS Flare-up Symptoms
Flare-ups can be considered an intensification or outburst of a condition. This means an IBS flare-up can result in the worsening of your symptoms in a short amount of time – with more intense and uncomfortable pain than usual.
Signs of an IBS Flare-Up:
- Bloating, abdominal swelling (round and hard), tender to touch, accompanied by pain and discomfort.
- Diarrhea (IBS-D)
- Constipation (IBS-C)
- Cramping or intense pains, described as or resembling razor blades or being stabbed, which affect the stomach, lower back, anus, and thigh pain.
- A mixed combination of these symptoms (IBS-M).
Causes of an IBS Flare
Unfortunately, IBS flare-ups can be unpredictable – both in terms of triggers, symptoms, and flare duration. A flare can triggered by a range of factors, from bacterial infections to food intolerances to psychological stressors.
As both food and stress are common triggers for a flare-up, treatment of IBS flares generally focuses on dietary and lifestyle changes to combat symptoms effectively, as both food and stress are common triggers for a flare-up.
How to calm an IBS Flare
Preventative care plays a pivotal role in avoiding an IBS flare-up. Adopting the low-FODMAP diet, which helps to restrict a short-chain fermentable carbohydrate (sugar), has become the surefire way to prevent symptoms.
On top of this, working with the gut and brain axis, by taking care of your mental health and well-being could also become a preventative care aspect of IBS.
Dietary Fiber
Along with FODMAPs, dietary fiber has been associated with a lower risk of IBS. Physicians recommend adjusting dietary fiber intake to 20-35 grams a day to regulate bowel movement and reduce abdominal discomfort.
Supplements & Alternative Therapies
Several supplements and alternative therapies have shown promising results for IBS.
Peppermint oil was found effective in targeting pain and digestive symptoms of IBS. Similarly, ashwagandha, hailed for its stress-relieving properties, targets stress-related digestive dysfunction through several pathways associated with IBS.
Additionally, supplements like Vitamin D and magnesium have been associated with improving gut microbiota, exerting anti-inflammatory effects, improving and relieving bowel movements and overall alleviating severe symptoms.
Mental Health & IBS
Due to the role of the gut-brain axis in IBS, a large focus of IBS treatment lies in stress relief and mental health care. Studies have shown a direct positive impact on gut microbiota from meditation, and a 2021 RCT found that IBS patients undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy reported an improvement in symptom severity, abdominal pain, and life satisfaction.
Seeking Immediate Relief
For fast relief during a flare-up, consider working with over-the-counter pain medication, applying a heating pad, sipping on ginger tea, and practicing deep breathing exercises, or any method that helps you relax. The higher your cortisol levels, the more likely you are to experience muscle spasms that cause abdominal pain and digestive issues.
It’s not easy being burdened with such a painful condition. Food, stress, and your emotional well-being all factor into the condition, which is why holistic lifestyle changes can make all the difference. It helps to also stay hydrated, move a bit every day, and create a calming bedtime routine to optimize sleep quality, which all help lower stress levels, reduce gut symptoms, and strengthen your immune system.
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