5 Ways to Avoid IBS Flare-Ups

Gut discomfort can cause many issues in your everyday life. Whether you’re going to the bathroom too often or not enough, suffering through irregular bowel movements can negatively impact your life, demanding your time and causing you to feel uncomfortable.

Irritable bowel syndrome, known as IBS, is a common issue. The American College of Gastroenterology estimates that between 10% and 15% of adults in the U.S. suffer from IBS, though just 5% to 7% of people are diagnosed. This syndrome impacts a person’s digestive system, causing issues with movement in the digestive tract and can occur independent of prior issues or damage to digestive tissues. Women tend to suffer from IBS flare-ups more often than men.

IBS presents in three forms: IBS with variable bowel habits (IBS-M), with diarrhea only (IBS-D), or with constipation only (IBS-C). It's important to note that IBS differs from inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) like colitis and Crohn’s.

Symptoms of IBS can be painful and disruptive, causing you to change your daily behavior. For example, you may need to consume more water than you’re used to if you’re frequently losing water through excessive bowel movements. DripDrop can help hydrate you fast with its precise formula designed to activate a hydration shortcut. Your body can absorb water and electrolyte more quickly, keeping you hydrated and healthy.

Understanding the causes of IBS and how to avoid an IBS flare-up is essential to managing this uncomfortable disorder. Let’s learn more about how IBS impacts the body and the best ways to manage and prevent flare-ups.

What Causes IBS Flare-Ups?

To those suffering from IBS, flare-ups can seem like they always happen at the least convenient times or may even feel random. However, many factors can contribute to an IBS flare-up. Spotting triggers before they can irritate the digestive tract is essential to avoiding IBS flare-ups and encouraging good gut health.

Here are some common IBS causes:

Diet

Trigger foods can cause an IBS flare-up, and like migraines, those triggers can vary from person to person. Common trigger foods include greasy items, processed foods, alcohol or coffee, dairy, protein, and fiber. To help identify specific trigger foods, dietitians often recommend removing all possible trigger foods from your diet before reintroducing each one at a time. This process can help identify potential problem foods you should avoid.

Stress

Stress takes a toll on our brains. Even in a low-stakes situation, if we feel stressed, our body goes into fight-or-flight mode, which releases hormones and causes certain physical responses that may slow down or halt digestion. Emotional tension and anxiety can contribute to an IBS flare-up in a similar way.

Menstrual Cycle

In the time frame surrounding their period, women may find IBS flare-ups produce more debilitating symptoms. The hormones that tell the uterus to contract and release its lining can also influence the nearby intestines, causing an uptick in painful cramps.

Family History and Major Life Trauma

Irritable bowel syndrome can be a hereditary condition, so if you’re suffering from symptoms of IBS, you may want to reach out to family members and ask them about their own experiences with upset stomach or abdominal pain. They may not be able to supply medical advice, but they can relate to your condition and provide some tips for living with it.

A study published by the World Journal of Gastroenterology in 2014 mentions that stressful or traumatic major life events, such as divorce or the ending of a significant relationship, could exacerbate symptoms of IBS. Studies seem to suggest traumatic childhood events or experiences with physical or sexual abuse can also contribute to the development of IBS.

Not Getting Enough Sleep

You may be more aware of IBS symptoms when you’re tired because a lack of sleep causes you to feel pain more intensely than you would on a regular sleep schedule. Tired people are also more likely to eat food high in carbohydrates or sugar, both of which contribute to IBS flare-ups.

Symptoms of IBS Flare-Ups

Those suffering from IBS can expect gas, bloating, abdominal pain that’s sometimes tied to bowel movements, shifts in the usual bowel movement schedule, and the feeling that the bowel movement is incomplete.

If you suffer from these symptoms, inspect your stool after a bowel movement. You may find an off-white color—mucus that indicates IBS.

IBS flare-ups can also cause dehydration as frequent trips to the bathroom increase fluid loss. If you’re experiencing an IBS flare-up, it’s important to drink more water than usual and replenish electrolytes. Know how to identify symptoms of dehydration and seek solutions such as to keep yourself hydrated.

DripDrop is a fast-hydrating solution that helps your body absorb water more quickly than usual while replacing essential electrolytes such as zinc, magnesium, and vitamin C. It includes three times the amount of electrolytes in traditional sports drinks but just half the amount of sugar.

How Long Does an IBS Flare-Up Last?

IBS flare-ups are typically short-lived, lasting between two to four days before improving or going away. If you haven’t been formally diagnosed with IBS but suspect you have a gastrointestinal disorder, consult with a physician to determine whether you’re experiencing IBS or IBD. IBD refers to several diseases that cause inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, including Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, and celiac disease. On the other hand, IBS is a disorder that does not cause inflammation of the GI tract.

How to Avoid IBS Flare-Ups

Drink More Water

If you suffer from IBS-D, you are losing a lot of essential water when you experience a flare-up. It’s important to replace the water lost and replenish electrolytes. Even if you don’t have IBS-D, water and electrolytes are essential to helping your body function at its best, and water assists with digestion.

Follow a Low FODMAP Diet

FODMAP, an acronym that refers to short-chain carbohydrates that tend to irritate the small intestines. These carbs are fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols.

Lentils, wheat-based items, and dairy products contain high quantities of these carbohydrates. Some fruits and vegetables are also high in FODMAPs. Vegetables to avoid include onion, garlic, asparagus, and artichoke. Fruits with high FODMAP quantities include cherries, peaches, pears, and apples.

Those suffering from IBS are recommended to follow the FODMAP diet for two to six weeks before reintroducing high FODMAP foods into their diets one at a time, monitoring each food’s propensity for inducing an IBS flare-up.

Change Lifestyle Habits

Lifestyle changes such as exercising more, quitting tobacco, cutting coffee, or giving up alcohol can induce positive changes in reducing IBS flare-ups. Also, try eating less but increasing the number of times you eat throughout the day.

Practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Because stress plays a major role in IBS flare-ups, introducing a technique called progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce some of the anxieties that aggravate IBS.

Find a comfortable place to lie or sit down before this exercise. Start by practicing abdominal breathing, another stress-management practice. Take a deep breath into your abdomen so your stomach expands. Hold your inhale for a few seconds before releasing it through your mouth or nose.

After a few deep breaths, start by tensing specific muscle groups. For example, start from your head, scrunching your forehead for a few seconds, then relaxing. Move to your neck and shoulders and continue down your body to help feel the difference between tensed muscles and the release of total relaxation. Try to concentrate on each specific body part.

Manage Stress

Other methods of managing stress may also help reduce IBS flare-ups. Abdominal breathing, meditation, and yoga are some activities you can practice on your own to help manage stress. Your doctor may recommend seeing a counselor or therapist to help reduce stress as well.

Manage Hydration with DripDrop

Dealing with IBS flare-ups can be frustrating and uncomfortable. Don’t let dehydration intensify flare-ups. If you're experiencing an IBS flare-up, make a conscious effort to drink more water than normal and introduce an electrolyte drink mix to your routine.

DripDrop was developed by a doctor with a precise formula designed to hydrate you faster than other electrolyte drinks. It includes three times the amount of electrolytes as traditional sports with half the sugar. DripDrop Zero is also available as a zero-sugar option with the same great taste and fast hydrating ability.