Handy Hints

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is an illness that, if you have lived with it for any length of time, you will have come to realise there is no "magic cure"; however, this does not mean being resigned to life-controlling ill health. Learning how to manage your symptoms can aid well-being and promote an improved quality of life. Some of the hints below may be of help in the management of your Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Our Self Management Programme is where you can learn more about Irritable Bowel Syndrome and ways to cope with the symptoms and feel better. The programme was written for The Gut Trust by our medical advisor Professor Nick Read MA MD FRCP. It is free to members of the charity, for information on how to join click here.

Pace yourself. Don't try to do too much. Look upon your gut as your alarm signal. If it goes off, slow down, relax, don't push through your symptoms, take a break. Work with your gut, not against it.

When your IBS flares up, ask yourself why. IBS is so responsive to emotions; it's like anxiety or frustration or despair played out through the gut. So just like the way you feel changes from moment to moment according to what is happening; so the same thing can occur in your guts. The trick is to learn to manage life and deal calmly and confidently with what happens, diffuse the situation by talking to others and if necessary get help.

Don't go eliminating foods from your diet. Remember that when you have a flare up of IBS, your gut will be more sensitive and food will be a problem. You may want to have a more bland diet. That's fine, but when things are better, do get back to a more balanced diet again. IBS does not have to be a life sentence and you do not need to go on hunger strike.

Barley is very soothing on the digestive system. Try adding a tablespoonful of pearl barley to your next casserole or pan of home-made soup (Barley requires slow cooking) or buy some barley flakes from any good health shop and make barley porridge for breakfast a couple of mornings per week.

Massage is beneficial whether you suffer from constipation or diarrhoea. Put a tablespoon of massage oil to warm for 10 minutes, placing it on top of a raditor will work well; suitable massage oils are almond oil or grape seed oil. Add one or two (no more) drops of one of the essential oils, lie down in a comfortable position and gently massage the oil into your abdomen using slow circular movements in a clockwise direction i.e. Up your right side, across your body and down your left side. Play some gentle music and relax while you massage. Oils to use for constipation are Marjoram, Rosemary, Fennel and oils to use for diarrhoea are Camomile, Lavender, Neroli (Never use oils neat, always dilute them in a massage/carrier oil).

Disclaimer: The hints shown have been received from members of The Gut Trust but may not be effective for a majority of the population and do not have any clinical validation or scientific basis.