5 Signs Your Digestive Issues Could Be IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder, but it is often a misunderstood illness. Many people who suffer from digestive issues don’t even realize the signs of IBS. I had digestive problems such as bloating and constipation for years, and didn’t know it was IBS. I just thought it was normal.
According to an article from 2014 in Clinical Epidemiology, researchers estimated that about 11% of the global population has IBS. And the overall prevalence of IBS is 67% higher in women than in men.
As a registered dietitian and someone with personal experience with IBS, I want to help you figure out if your symptoms may be IBS.
In this post, I will explain the five common signs that your digestive problems could be IBS. This information is for educational purposes, so please seek your medical diagnosis and treatment from a qualified physician.
Sign #1: Frequent Bloating
Bloating is one of the most common and annoying IBS symptoms. This bloating is different from just overeating and feeling bloated afterwards. IBS-related bloating persists, even when you haven’t eaten. It makes your pants tight, and if you’re a woman, you may look pregnant even when you are not.
Constant bloating was one of the first signs I knew something wasn’t right. In my journey, I assumed it was from dairy products. But even after cutting out dairy, I was still bloated all the time.
IBS is a condition of the gut-brain connection, which means that if your brain feels stressed, it may send signals to your gut that you are stressed, which can affect your digestion. Stress can cause IBS symptoms like bloating, but certain foods, such as high FODMAPs, caffeine, or high-fat foods, may also cause it.
To find out which foods are triggering your bloating, get my free IBS-Friendly Shopping List!
Also, practice stress-relieving activities such as exercise, journaling, and meditation to help reduce IBS symptoms.
Sign #2: You Have Unpredictable Bowel Movements (Constipation, Diarrhea, or Both!)
Another common symptom and sign you may have IBS is altered bowel movements. There are three subtypes of IBS: IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D), IBS with constipation (IBS-C), and IBS-M, which alternates between constipation and diarrhea.
These altered bowel movements may worsen if you eat foods that trigger your IBS symptoms or have other triggers, such as stress. Some women also have symptoms that change or worsen during their periods, so hormones also play a role.
Initially, my IBS symptoms were more towards the IBS-M type, but over the years, it switched into IBS-C predominantly, which is common as women go through perimenopause.
Inconsistent or urgent bowel movements can disrupt daily life. You may feel you need to be close to a bathroom at all times, which isn’t always possible or realistic.
Or, if you feel uncomfortable using public bathrooms, you may want to wait until later, which can also disrupt your bowel function. And all the stress attached to it may, unfortunately, worsen your symptoms.
This stress loop is known as the stress cycle of IBS, where stress triggers the IBS symptoms, then the IBS triggers stress, causing a vicious cycle. Incorporating stress-reducing activities is crucial to breaking the cycle.
Sign #3: You Feel Worse After Eating “Healthy” Foods
As a dietitian, nutrition is always at the forefront of my mind. Eating a healthy, balanced diet has been my focus, which typically means eating lots of high-fiber foods, such as beans, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. But as my digestive symptoms worsened, I started noticing I was feeling worse after eating these “healthy” foods.
Why would someone feel worse eating these healthy, high fiber foods? Well, it’s most likely because many of them are high in FODMAPs.
If you’re not sure what FODMAPs are, they are Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. This acronym is a mouthful, but it means certain carbohydrates are highly fermentable in the digestive system, and they can cause uncomfortable digestive symptoms in people with IBS.
Some common high FODMAP foods that can cause symptoms include onions, garlic, apples, certain beans, whole wheat bread, and dairy products. The Low FODMAP diet was created and researched by Monash University in Australia.
Following a Low FODMAP diet can help you determine which foods are causing your symptoms because not everyone gets symptoms from the same foods. Keeping a food journal can help you track your symptoms to the foods you eat, and then you can personalize your diet to include foods you tolerate.
Do you want help swapping out high FODMAP foods for low FODMAP ones? Check out my Low FODMAP Substitution Guide!
Sign #4: You Frequently Get Stomach Pain or Cramps
One of the hallmark symptoms of IBS is abdominal pain. Abdominal pain can range from mild discomfort to severe cramping that comes and goes.
According to the Mayo Clinic, to be diagnosed with IBS, you must have gut pain and discomfort averaging at least one day a week in the last three months. Abdominal pain usually occurs with at least two of the following: having a bowel movement, a change in the frequency of bowel movements, or a change in stool consistency.
The abdominal pain usually improves after having a bowel movement. But I know it can be uncomfortable or even excruciating until that happens. As someone who suffers from IBS-C, I know that IBS pain all too well.
Peppermint oil capsules or peppermint tea can bring relief from abdominal pain, as they have natural antispasmodic and anesthetic effects. Make sure to use enteric-coated capsules to ensure the peppermint oil reaches the small intestines. Also, changing your diet and following a Low FODMAP diet can help identify which foods trigger your symptoms and relieve gut pain.
Sign #5: Your Symptoms Flare Up During Stressful Times
Have you ever noticed your digestive issues get worse right before a high-stress time like a big meeting or a busy week? That’s not a coincidence. Stress and anxiety are known IBS triggers due to the powerful connection between your brain and gut, which is called the gut-brain axis.
Stress can be a significant trigger of my IBS symptoms. During a busy week at work or when feeling overwhelmed with family or personal stress, my IBS symptoms worsen. Symptoms can include bloating, constipation, and abdominal pain. These symptoms can occur even if I haven’t eaten anything that causes my symptoms to flare up. Sometimes, I wasn’t even aware I was stressed, but my gut told me otherwise.
Flare-ups occur because when you are under stress, your body releases hormones that can either speed up or slow down digestion, triggering symptoms such as bloating, cramping, diarrhea, or constipation. For many women, like myself, emotional stress – even the kind that doesn’t feel extreme – can throw off gut function.
That’s why learning how to manage your stress is just as important as managing your diet. I’ve found that practicing meditation and mindful eating, journaling, going on walks in the park, getting good sleep, and using gut hypnotherapy helps tremendously.
Conclusion & Next Steps
IBS symptoms aren’t always obvious, and it can be easy to brush them off or blame them on having a sensitive stomach. But if you’ve noticed a pattern with bloating, bowel movements, or being triggered by certain foods or stress, your body is trying to tell you something. But you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Understanding these signs is the first step to feeling better. With the proper support and information, you can learn to manage your symptoms.
If any of these signs sound familiar, get a check-up with your primary care physician or a gastroenterologist. Then get my IBS Quick-Start Guide so you can take control of your symptoms. It’s packed with simple, actionable steps, meal plans, and recipes to help you calm your gut, identify triggers, and start feeling like yourself again.
👉 Click here to grab your copy of the IBS Quick-Start Guide at the special early-access price!
References
Alammar, N., Wang, L., Saberi, B., Nanavati, J., Holtmann, G., Shinohara, R. T., & Mullin, G. E. (2019). The impact of peppermint oil on the irritable bowel syndrome: A meta-analysis of the pooled clinical data. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 19, 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-018-2409-0
Canavan, C., West, J., & Card, T. (2014). The epidemiology of irritable bowel syndrome. Clinical Epidemiology, 6, 71. https://doi.org/10.2147/CLEP.S40245
