In treating chronic IBS, be sure to maintain the changes to lifestyle and diet that relieve
symptoms. Quitting smoking, avoiding caffeine and foods that make symptoms
worse, and getting regular exercise should all be permanent parts of your daily
routine.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Controlling Symptoms With Diet
You will likely continue to take medicines as needed to
treat your symptoms.
Because IBS often results from a combination
of physical and stress-related factors, a treatment approach that addresses
both these causes will be most successful. In addition to treating constipation
or diarrhea with medicines and changes to diet and lifestyle, stress
management or other psychological therapy should be a major part of your
treatment plan.
Treatment if the condition gets worse
If your
symptoms get worse, your doctor will likely conduct more tests to
determine whether there is another cause for your symptoms.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) does not lead to more
serious conditions, such as cancer or inflammatory bowel disease, but a person
with IBS may also have one of these illnesses.
Your doctor may also want you to try different medicines, or different
dosages of your current medicines, if your symptoms are not responding to
treatment.