Your abdominal pain and chronic diarrhoea could be IBS

Burp a lot or always bloated? Or struggle with acid reflux, abdominal pain or constipation/diarrhoea often? While these symptoms may be indicative of benign diseases, they may also be warnings of potentially serious diseases such as cancer, ulcers or inflammatory bowel disease (IBS).

Those who suffer from IBS basically have bowels that do not function as per normal--the muscles may contract too much when they eat, resulting in abdominal cramps, or because food passes through their bowels too slowly, they may also typically find themselves suffering from constipation.

But thanks to modern medicine, IBS can be easily diagnosed through endoscopy (a minimally invasive procedure that involves the use of a flexible telescope device to look into the digestive tract). There is however no known cure for the condition, so the best thing you can do to manage it is by making healthier changes to your diet, lifestyle and stress levels. Dr Chris Kong San Choon, Head of Department and Senior Consultant, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Sengkang
General Hospital, provides three tips on how you can maintain a healthy gut.

Eat the recommended amount of fibre

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Need a guideline? You can refer to the recommendations by the Health Promotion Board. Adequate dietary fibre intake has many health benefits, including a healthier bowel function, lowers cholesterol levels and better blood sugar levels. Some of the best dietary sources of fibre include oats, barley, legumes (peas, beans, lentils) and fruits.

 

Maintain a healthy weight

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Obesity is a complex health issue and is associated with a combination of factors including behaviour and genetics. However, it can be managed better by eating healthy and exercising regularly--this is important as being overweight can lead to a reduced quality of life is associated with diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer.

Get enough good quality sleep

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Poor sleep has long been associated with poor health outcomes--insomnia prevents us from performing tasks efficiently, having normal reaction times, and processing information properly. But here's the thing: recent studies have suggested that there is a strong association between sleep disturbances and gastrointestinal diseases.

To find out more about IBS, head to