🌀 Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
📝 Last reviewed: August 2026
| In brief | Recurring belly cramps, bloating, excess gas, and bowel habits that swing between constipation and diarrhea. |
|---|---|
| Category | Digestive |
🔍 What causes it
IBS is a functional gut disorder, not damage you can see on scans. The exact cause is unknown, but the intestinal muscles contract too strongly and the gut nerves are unusually sensitive, so even normal gas feels painful. Stress, anxiety, a family history of IBS, and being female all raise the risk. It often starts between the late teens and mid-40s.
⚠️ Key symptoms
- Stomach cramps that ease after a bowel movement
- Bloating and passing more gas than usual
- Constipation, diarrhea, or alternating between the two
- Sudden urge to use the toilet, often right after meals
- Feeling the bowels never fully empty
- Worse symptoms during stress or after certain foods
💊 Treatment
There is no cure, but most people manage well with a plan. Dietary changes are central: cut gas-producing foods like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, and add soluble fibre (oranges, carrots, oats) for diarrhea-predominant IBS or insoluble fibre such as leafy greens and whole grains for constipation. Doctors may prescribe fibre supplements, anti-spasmodics or anti-diarrhoeals, and sometimes counselling for stress. Regular exercise, yoga and breathing practice help. See a doctor to confirm the diagnosis and tailor treatment.
🛡️ Prevention
There is no guaranteed way to prevent IBS, but you can reduce flare-ups. Keep a food and stress diary to spot personal triggers, eat regular small meals, stay active, and manage anxiety with exercise, yoga or meditation. Ask a doctor before starting fibre supplements.
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