Tag Archives: irritable bowel syndrome

IBS Symptoms: Common & Unusual IBS Symptoms

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

IBS Symptoms: Common & Unusual IBS Symptoms

Plus What Causes Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Vancouver Dietitian IBS.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition characterized by chronic abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits. The exact cause of IBS is not known, but it is believed to be the result of an interaction between various factors. IBS is one of the most common gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, affecting about 20% of the general population.

Common IBS symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea and feeling bloated. There tend to be one or two predominant symptoms or triggers for IBS, which can make it harder to diagnose. However, with the right dietary and lifestyle changes, most people with IBS can manage their symptoms and reduce the frequency of flare-ups.

Confused about how to manage your symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis?

confused dietIf you answered yes to the question above, you are not alone. Some of the most common digestive health disorders that affect people in Vancouver, Canada and all of North America are Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s Disease, and Ulcerative Colitis. Although these conditions have been a problem for many years, we still don’t have a simple answer when it comes to diet. If you ask your doctor, he or she may tell you diet will not help you. If you ask me, a registered dietitian specializing in digestive health, I will tell you there is enough science to show us that nutrition and diet can have a large impact on managing IBS and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) symptoms, as well as improving your overall quality of life.

Silent Sufferers of Digestive Health Issues

There are so many of us who suffer from digestive health issues.  Whether it’s undiagnosed, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), oAshley Charlebois - Dietitianr an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.  It’s something our society doesn’t like to discuss much – and quite understandably so given the pain, frustration, and embarrassment these health issues may cause.  When I was growing up experiencing the pain of IBS, I thought I was one of the few unlucky ones having to deal with the symptoms. However, because of my history with digestive health issues and now my work experience helping individuals to alleviate symptoms of their digestive issues, I’m realizing more and more how common these health issues actually are.  Many of my friends and coworkers in Vancouver are even coming to me for advice about how they can gain control over their digestive problems. If I’m just hearing this from those I’m surrounded by on a regular basis, it makes me wonder how many people are out there silently suffering.

IBS and IBD in partiAshley Charlebois - Dietitiancular, have never been easy conditions to overcome. Given their complexity – the number of contributing factors to symptoms, the many different triggers for the onset of symptoms, and diversity of possible foods which may or may not cause symptoms – it only makes sense. Up until recently, the only form of dietary management available for individuals suffering from these conditions has been elimination diets. Basically, trying to find associations between certain foods and symptoms, and then eliminating one group of food at a time to see if it the symptoms decrease.  Finally, once certain trigger foods are identified (which may take several weeks or months of working with a dietitian), they are added back in to see if the symptoms come back. It can be quite a tedious process, but in the end if symptoms are improved, it is all worthwhile.

Now, there’s even hope for a less tedious process of eliminating trigger foods for those suffering from IBS and sometimes those suffering from IBD. There’s been recent scientific evidence showing that short chain carbohydrates (oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyls), may contribute to symptoms of IBS such as bloating, pain, and changes in bowel movements. Shorter chain carbohydrates are more rapidly fermented by bacteria in individuals suffering from gut mobility issues, thus contributing to common IBS symptoms. The elimination of foods high in short chain carbohydrates has actually been scientifically proven to help improve symptoms in 75% of those suffering from IBS symptoms.  For more information, check out Shepherd Works’ website about the low FODMAP diet.

So for any of you who are experiencing discomfort with digestion, (whether it be stomach aches, changes in bowel movements, bloating, gas, or anything else) first mention it to your doctor. He/she might run some diagnostic tests to try and figure out what is going on. Second, a registered dietitian specializing in gastrointestinal health can potentially help you alleviate symptoms further. No need to suffer in silence – gain control over what’s causing your discomfort on a regular basis, it can be done.