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Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lifelong & How to Cope With it?

Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lifelong?

The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome may persist for a long time, even lifetime in many cases. The occurrence of symptoms of IBS can hamper the quality of your life especially when you are away for work or in any social activity.

Proper treatment for irritable bowel syndrome will help to get rid or at least suppress the symptoms. The good thing is that irritable bowel syndrome does not lead to any severe medical condition such as cancer. Also, it does not cause any permanent damage to intestine. You can control the symptoms to avoid IBS flare-ups and prevent severe outcomes.

Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lifelong?

How to Cope With Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

The best thing you can do for irritable bowel syndrome is to manage the symptoms. If you can manage the symptoms then you will be able to control the irritable bowel syndrome flare ups and take control of your life. The following are the ways to cope with irritable bowel syndrome:

  • Know your Triggers and Symptoms for better coping with irritable bowel syndrome. The best way to manage the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome is to maintain a proper record of the symptoms, possible reasons for the occurrence of the symptoms and other conditions. Not down the food that you ate or the medications that you were taking that might have triggered the symptoms. All this information will help you as well as the doctor to understand your condition well. Also, it will be useful in determining the right diet to manage the symptoms.
  • Cope with irritable bowel syndrome by talking openly about it. People suffering from the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can easily feel depressed. In fact, 75% of the people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome are known to suffer from depression at some or the other point of time. They may also suffer from anxiety disorders.
  • It is important that you do not isolate yourself and talk to your family or friends about the condition. You can also seek professional help from a counselor for coping with the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. You can also talk to your colleagues at your workplace about your medical condition so that they can understand and help you in managing the symptoms. The most important thing is to talk about your problems with anyone with who you feel comfortable.
  • Read about the triggers of irritable bowel syndrome and also get a good educational material to let everyone else understand and help in managing the symptoms. This will surely help everyone understand your condition of irritable bowel syndrome and you can still work efficiently without getting embarrassed. This is also helpful in explaining it to your boss that why you are not able to bring out the best performance. You need to find support and it is only possible if you are prepared to talk about your condition openly with the people at your home or work.
  • Get proper support from professionals for better coping with irritable bowel syndrome. In addition to talking with your family and friends, it is recommended that you seek help from the professionals. Discuss your condition with your doctor or other medical care providers including nurses and therapists who can help you out in understanding and managing the symptoms. There are various support groups that helps individuals in managing the symptoms. If you cannot find a support group, you can ask to your doctor.
  • Another way to cope with irritable bowel syndrome is by preparing for IBS flare up situations. You will have to prepare yourself to fight it out against the condition and symptoms. It includes gaining mental toughness as well as awareness about irritable bowel syndrome. You need to learn about managing the symptoms & flare ups, make plans to cope up with the symptoms. It includes learning about irritable bowel syndrome from the internet and getting yourself aware about the location of the public toilets near you.
  • If you are attending any function or going for a concert or movie, try to take the corner or back seat so that you can easily get to the toilet. Do not run away from the situations that are embarrassing but speak out about your condition. If people around you would be aware of your condition, they will understand the reason for your behavior. It is normal to get embarrassed but the fact is that most of the people are too busy to observe your activities. Nobody is keen to notice that you are going to toilet frequently. Thus, get the embarrassment out of your mind.
  • Try to reduce stress in order to cope with irritable bowel syndrome. People can get stressed or develop anxiety disorders. Thus, it is important that you follow certain practices or techniques such as Yoga to manage the level of stress. Ask to your doctor about the various therapies and techniques that can help you in managing the stress. Some of the common therapies for managing the stress include behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy etc… The most important thing is to live your life feeling without worrying about the condition, treatment or symptoms.

References:

  1. International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders – Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Overview: https://www.aboutibs.org/what-is-ibs.html
  2. Mayo Clinic – Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20360016
  3. Johns Hopkins Medicine – Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs
  4. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases – Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/irritable-bowel-syndrome
  5. Cleveland Clinic – Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9636-irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:August 8, 2023

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