Want Relief for Irritable Bowel Syndrome?  See a Gastroenterologist. (2024)

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects about 11% of the global population, but only 30% of those people seek a physician's guidance in treating symptoms.

This is surprising consideringeverything that gastroenterologists have to offer. Gastroenterologists are experts in the gastrointestinal system. Because IBS affects the gastrointestinal system, gastroenterologists can help patients control their IBS symptoms.

If you're interested in learning more about irritable bowel syndrome treatment by gastroenterologists, keep reading. We'll let you know exactly how the right gastroenterologist can help you manage your IBS.

1. A Gastroenterologist Can Help Relieve Pain

Many people withirritable bowel syndromereport experiencing pain and cramping. Some IBS pain can be unbearable. People even end up in the emergency room sometimes.

Gastroenterologists can help their patients manage this pain. Whether it's through nutritional changes or prescription medications, patients can manage their pain.

Patients shouldn't have to go through the pain of IBS alone. Get the help of a gastroenterologist and be honest about your pain.

It may also help to track what the pain feels like and when the pain happens. Some people only have cramping after eating certain foods, while others cramp randomly. Some patients have stabbing pain, while others have firey pain.

2. A Gastroenterologist Can Personalize Treatment

There are three types of irritable bowel syndrome: IBS-C, IBS-D, and IBS-M.

A patient with IBS-C struggles with constipation, while a patient with IBS-D struggles with diarrhea. IBS-M is a mix of both constipation and diarrhea.

Both sides of irritable bowel syndrome aren't any fun. Gastroenterologists understand the ins and outs of constipation and diarrhea. Therefore, they can help you with your specific struggles.

Whether they place you on a new medication or change up your nutrition, gastroenterologists will know how to help your bowels get back to normal. For example, many patients with constipation find relief with a laxatives. However, before using these or other medicines, have a talk with your physician. Remember that a change in your bowel habits warrants an evaluation by your doctor. It could be a warning sign of colon cancer.

If you like the more natural route, you can try to change your diet around and see how your body responds. For example, patients with diarrhea may experience worsening symptoms after ingesting dairy. They can solve this issue by limiting or completely eliminating dairy consumption.

Your gastroenterologist will be able to help you navigate these changes.

3. A Gastroenterologist Can Help Control Bloating

Bloating is another common symptom of irritable bowel syndrome. Bloating inevitably leads to gas. It's understandable how this could become annoying.

Patients with irritable bowel syndrometypically try to avoid lactose. This tends to decrease bloating and gas production. However, it may not eliminate it completely. The assessment is complex and there are many potential causes.

A gastroenterologist can help you identify what other foods or habits could be leading to gas production. Like with other symptoms, a change in nutrition or a new medication could help with this.

New diets are constantly being released for IBS patients. Your gastroenterologist will be able to help you find the best diet for you and your condition.

Your gastroenterologist will understand your symptoms and how they interact with your current diet. From this, they can find out what foods with which you react.

If you and your gastroenterologist can figure out what foods you're sensitive to, you can have great control over your IBS. It's amazing what small changes in diet can do for irritable bowel syndrome.

4. A Gastroenterologist Can Help You Sleep

Sleep may seem unrelated to irritable bowel syndrome. However, this is untrue.

Many patients with irritable bowel syndromereport poor sleep quality, insomnia, and fatigue. Not surprisingly, patients have worsening gastrointestinal symptoms the day following a poor night's sleep.

This is truly a testament to the fact that our bodies are completely connected. Everything affects everything, and your gastroenterologist understands this.

Getting your irritable bowel syndrome under control could be the key to getting a good night of sleep. However, a good night of sleep could be the key to getting your irritable bowel syndrome under control.

The best thing to do is to take every factor into account. Talk to your gastroenterologist about your sleep pattern. Track your symptoms and hours slept, and let your gastroenterologist know if there is a correlation.

Your gastroenterologist will be able to help you find out how to getall of this under control. They'll work with you to track your sleep and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Your gastroenterologist will know important trackers from needless details. Be sure to ask them what they think that you should track for your specific symptoms.

5. A Gastroenterologist Can Determine If This is Something More

Your case of irritable bowel syndrome could be worse than you think. IBS can lead to irritable bowel disease, colitis, and other conditions.

One of the first tests your gastroenterologists will want to do is a colonoscopy. This may seem disgusting, but it's important. Acolonoscopy will give your gastroenterologista look into your body and let them see what's really going on.

From here, they can see if you have a more serious condition going on. For patients with extreme pain or other symptoms, this could be an explanation.

For example, patients who are experiencing rectal bleeding and cramping may have ulcerative colitis. A gastroenterologist can figure out if you have this form of irritable bowel diseaseby performing a colonoscopy.

Your gastroenterologist may also want toperform an endoscopyto check for something like acid reflux or intestinal enzyme deficiencies. Even if you unexplained symptoms, it's a good idea to let your gastroenterologist have a look.

The only way that gastroenterologists can be completely sure what's going on is by looking inside of your body. Your anatomy will reveal what's going on. From there, your gastroenterologist can make the right decisions.

Seeing a Gastroenterologist for Your IBS

If you have IBS, you need to get a hold of a gastroenterologist today. These medical professionals are trained to help you find relief.

With so many symptoms and complications, irritable bowel syndrome can be difficult to navigate. Don't make it harder on yourself by trying to take it on alone.

Make an appointment with usnow and start your journey to a healthier you.

diarrhea IBS SIBO constipation stomach pain

Want Relief for Irritable Bowel Syndrome?  See a Gastroenterologist. (2024)

FAQs

What is the best pain relief for IBS? ›

People whose main IBS symptom is cramping often use anti-cramping medications. These medications are meant to relieve the pain by relaxing the muscles of the intestine. Research suggests that four anti-cramping medications may help: butylscopolamine, cimetropium, pinaverium and otilonium.

What do gastroenterologists recommend for IBS? ›

Try to:
  • Experiment with fiber. Fiber helps reduce constipation but also can worsen gas and cramping. ...
  • Avoid problem foods. Eliminate foods that trigger your symptoms.
  • Eat at regular times. Don't skip meals, and try to eat at about the same time each day to help regulate bowel function. ...
  • Exercise regularly.
May 12, 2023

What is the most effective medicine for IBS? ›

Linaclotide (Linzess®) and Plecanatide (Trulance®) work by increasing fluid secretion and gut movement. Both have also been shown to reduce abdominal pain by decreasing activity of pain sensing nerves. Both drugs treat overall IBS-C symptoms and are FDA approved for the treatment of IBS-C and CIC.

Is there a way to fix irritable bowel syndrome? ›

Doctors may treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) by recommending changes in what you eat and other lifestyle changes, medicines, probiotics, and mental health therapies. You may have to try a few treatments to see what works best for you. Your doctor can help you find the right treatment plan.

How do I make my IBS stop hurting? ›

General tips to relieve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms
  1. cook homemade meals using fresh ingredients when you can.
  2. keep a diary of what you eat and any symptoms you get – try to avoid things that trigger your IBS.
  3. try to find ways to relax.
  4. get plenty of exercise.
  5. try probiotics for a month to see if they help.

Why is my IBS pain so severe? ›

The colon (large intestine) muscle tends to contract more in people with IBS. These contractions cause cramps and pain. Visceral hypersensitivity: You may have extra-sensitive nerves in your GI tract. People with IBS tend to have a lower pain tolerance than people without it.

Which doctor is best for irritable bowel syndrome? ›

Doctors trained in digestive diseases (gastroenterologists) evaluate and treat people who have IBS at Mayo Clinic. Specialists in the Motility Clinic are frequently involved in care. These physicians have special training in disorders involving the movement of food through the digestive system (motility).

What is the main cause of irritable bowel syndrome? ›

It can occur after a bacterial infection or a parasitic infection (giardiasis) of the intestines. This is called postinfectious IBS. There may also be other triggers, including stress. The intestine is connected to the brain by hormone and nerve signals that go back and forth between the bowel and the brain.

What is the new medication for IBS? ›

Tenapanor is a proven, safe, and efficacious treatment option for IBS-C subjects. It provides global IBS symptom relief with both an increase in complete spontaneous bowel movements and improved abdominal pain. Tenapanor has minimum systemic availability and minimal adverse effects.

Is banana good for IBS? ›

Unripe bananas are low in FODMAPS and therefore a better choice for people with IBS — although they're not as sweet or soft as ripe bananas. However, as bananas ripen, they accumulate a type of FODMAP called oligofructans. Therefore, ripe bananas are considered a high FODMAP food (6, 7 ).

What do IBS stools look like? ›

Additionally, stool in the diarrhea-predominant type tends to be loose and watery and may contain mucus (4). Frequent, loose stools are common in IBS, and are a symptom of the diarrhea-predominant type. Stools may also contain mucus.

What is the biggest trigger for IBS? ›

Trigger #1: Eating the wrong foods
  • Sugary foods: dried fruit, apples, mangoes, watermelon and high-fructose corn syrup.
  • Foods with polyols: apples, apricots, avocados, cherries, nectarines, peaches and cauliflower.
  • Foods with lactose: milk, cheese, ice cream and yogurts.
Jan 21, 2022

What is the new medication for IBS in 2024? ›

(Nasdaq: ARDX), a biopharmaceutical company founded with a mission to discover, develop and commercialize innovative, first-in-class medicines that meet significant unmet medical needs, today announced that data supporting additional positive clinical observations of IBSRELA® (tenapanor) was presented at the 2024 ...

Can IBS pain be unbearable? ›

People contacting IFFGD about severe pain have described it using words like: excruciating, unbearable, constant, intense, or awful.

How to help IBS pain at night? ›

Consider taking melatonin: Research suggests taking 3 mg of melatonin at bedtime may improve IBS abdominal pain. Scientists believe the reason is that melatonin affects intestinal functioning by moving stool along at an even pace, reducing inflammation in your colon, and suppressing pain signals from nerves in the gut.

What is the new medicine for IBS? ›

Tenapanor is a proven, safe, and efficacious treatment option for IBS-C subjects. It provides global IBS symptom relief with both an increase in complete spontaneous bowel movements and improved abdominal pain. Tenapanor has minimum systemic availability and minimal adverse effects.

Can drinking a lot of water help IBS? ›

Water intake might be associated with improvement of IBS through affecting GI function. Water intake might improve constipation among IBS-C patients. In addition, drinking water is a common suggestion for IBS-D patients to prevent diarrhea-induced dehydration.

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