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What’s the deal with breath tests?
Do you need a breath test to diagnose IBS?
Breath testing is no longer recommended for most people with IBS as first line investigation. Breath testing can be used to give an indication of whether you have an intolerance to sugars like lactose, fructose, sorbitol, sucrose and mannitol. The issue is that the results of the breath test don’t always align with what your body can actually tolerate in IBS. Many people have a positive breath test showing ‘intolerance’ to one of these sugars but they still may tolerate having a modest amount in their diet. It is much more useful to try a FODMAPs elimination diet where these sugars are removed from the diet and then use a re-challenge protocol (with an experienced dietician) as this will give you much more practical answers as to what your body can tolerate. The tests can also be quite expensive and take a lot of time and energy to complete as only a single sugar can be tested on a breath test at one time and requires some prep work too. Of course, every case is different and in certain circumstances your GP/dietician may recommend breath tests as an adjunct to your management plan.
Quick lifestyle tips to relieve IBS symptoms
Simple lifestyle tips to manage IBS
Lifestyle changes form a huge part of managing IBS symptoms. Here are some things I discuss with my patients:
– Be active regularly. Exercise helps to get your gut moving which can help relieve bloating and gas. Even a 5-10 minute walk after meals can make a huge difference.
– Have a regular eating routine and avoid skipping meals. This will help your body to restore healthy hunger/fullness signals through the gut brain axis.
– Slow down! A lot of us are prone to rushing, especially around meal times but this can cause more digestive issues. Make sure you take a break out of your day to sit down and eat meals mindfully
– Improve sleep habits. If sleep is an issue for you, your GP can help
– Weight management- being of a healthy weight can help reduce reflux and bloating symptoms. Speak to your GP about how best to achieve this for you.
– Avoid ingesting extra air that can cause bloating/pain/reflux/flatulence by avoiding carbonated drinks and chewing gum
#IBS #lifestylemedicine #routine #slowdown #sleephygiene#health #exercise #generalpractice
IBS- What’s stress got to do with it?
Why your brain could be the key to managing IBS symptoms:
Many people have heard of the ‘gut brain axis’ and it is a vital part of understanding IBS. Sometimes the link is really obvious like when you’re rushing to the toilet before a big exam or getting ‘butterflies’ when you’re nervous. The gut receives messages from the brain about how it’s feeling and also sends them back! Some people are more sensitive to the gut effects of negative emotions like stress, anxiety and low mood. Chemicals from your brain can directly impact how you feel gut pain/discomfort and how fast/slow your gut moves food through. Gut symptoms like pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea etc, feed back to the brain to cause more negative feelings and lead to a vicious cycle of symptoms. But there’s good news! There are proven ways to help break this cycle by changing how we think, feel and act. These include:
– Cognitive behavioural therapy delivered by a trained psychologist. I encourage most of my IBS patients to include a psychologist as part of their team when preparing their care plan.
– Gut based hypnotherapy- Yes, I was sceptical when I first heard this too but the evidence base is growing to support this. Just be ware that hypnotherapy is a relatively unregulated industry. Your GP can help you find a licensed therapist with experience in treating IBS.
– Other techniques to help you de-stress like mindfulness/meditation
If stress is an issue for you, your GP is a great first point of contact to discuss strategies that might help.