Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Also known asIrritable Bowel Syndrome · IBS · Spastic Colon · Irritable Bowel · 肠易激综合征 · 肠躁症

What it is

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common, long-term condition causing stomach cramps, bloating, wind, and diarrhoea, constipation or both. The gut looks normal on tests, but it is more sensitive and moves differently. Stress, poor sleep, some foods and infections can set off flare-ups. It is diagnosed after other conditions have been ruled out.

How food and lifestyle can help

Regular meals, eating slowly, and not skipping meals help many people. Keep a food and symptom diary for a few weeks to find your own triggers, rather than cutting out whole food groups. Stress management, regular exercise and, for some, gut-directed hypnotherapy or cognitive behavioural therapy can help as much as diet.

Foods and nutrients to focus on

1. Soluble fibre such as oats, and psyllium husk (build up slowly).
2. Fresh, simply cooked foods, and drinking enough water.
3. A trial of live yoghurt, kefir or a probiotic for about four weeks to see if it helps.
4. Some people find peppermint oil capsules ease cramps.

Foods and drinks to limit

1. Large, fatty or very spicy meals, alcohol and a lot of coffee.
2. Sugar alcohols (sorbitol, xylitol) in "sugar-free" sweets and gum, which can cause diarrhoea.
3. Wheat bran and lots of raw vegetables or beans if they make you worse, tried one change at a time.

Good to know

1. The low-FODMAP diet can help some people, but it is a short, three-step trial of cutting out and then reintroducing foods, best done with a dietitian. It is not meant to be followed long term.
2. Do not cut out gluten before being tested for coeliac disease: the test only works while you are eating gluten.
3. Probiotic benefits depend on the strain and are modest.

When to see a doctor

1. Blood in the stool or black stools, unexplained weight loss, a lump in the stomach, anaemia, or night-time symptoms.
2. Symptoms that start after the age of 50, or run in a family with bowel cancer or coeliac disease.
3. Symptoms that disrupt daily life or do not settle with simple changes.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition or take medicines, check changes to your diet with your doctor or a registered dietitian.

NHS — Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), used for the main facts: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs/