If you think you have IBS, seeing your doctor is the first step bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating IBS is generally diagnosed on the basis of a complete medical history that includes a careful description of symptoms and a physical examination bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating In many cases, dietary fiber may lessen IBS symptoms, particularly constipation bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating However, it may not help pain or diarrhea bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating Whole grain breads and cereals, fruits, and vegetables are good sources of fiber bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating High-fiber diets keep the colon mildly distended, which may help prevent spasms bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating Some forms of fiber also keep water in the stool, thereby preventing hard hard stools that are difficult to pass bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating Doctors usually recommend a diet with enough fiber to produce soft, painless bowel movements bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating High-fiber diets may cause gas and bloating, but these symptoms often go away within a few weeks as your body adjusts bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating (For information about diets for for people with celiac disease, please see the Celiac Disease fact sheet from NIDDK.) In people with IBS, stress and emotions can strongly affect the colon bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating It has many nerves that connect it to the brain bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating Like the heart and the lungs, the colon is partly controlled by by the autonomic nervous system, which has been proven to respond to stress bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating For example, when you are frightened, your heart beats faster, your blood pressure may go up, or you may gasp bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating The colon responds to stress also bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating It may contract too much or too little bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating little bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating It may absorb too much water or too little bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating Is IBS linked to other diseases? It is also important to note that medications affect people differently and that no one medication or combination of medications will work for everyone with IBS bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating You need to work with with your doctor to find the best combination of medicine, diet, counseling, and support to control your symptoms bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating It is relieved by having a bowel movement bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating large meals Medications are an important part of relieving symptoms bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating Your doctor may suggest fiber supplements or occasional laxatives for constipation, constipation, as well as medicines to decrease diarrhea, tranquilizers to calm you, or drugs that control colon muscle spasms to reduce abdominal pain bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating Antidepressants may also relieve some symptoms bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating Medications available to treat IBS specifically are the following: medicines Most people can control their symptoms by taking medicines medicines (laxatives, antidiarrhea medicines, tranquilizers, or antidepressants) , reducing stress, and changing their diet bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating No cure has been found for IBS, but many options are available to treat the symptoms bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating Your doctor will give you the best treatments available for your particular symptoms and encourage you to manage manage stress and make changes to your diet bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating No particular test is specific for IBS bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating However, diagnostic tests may be performed to rule out other diseases bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating These tests may include stool or blood tests, x rays, or endoscopy (viewing the colon through a flexible tube inserted through through the anus) bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating If these tests are all negative, the doctor may diagnose IBS based on your symptoms: that is, how often you have had abdominal pain or discomfort during the past year, when the pain starts and stops in relation to bowel function, and how your bowel bowel frequency and stool consistency are altered bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating People with IBS have colons that are more sensitive and react to things that might not bother other people, such as stress, large meals, gas, medicines, certain foods, caffeine, or alcohol bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating Points to Remember regular exercise such as walking or yoga yoga Research has shown that very mild or hidden (occult) celiac disease is present in a smaller group of people with symptoms that mimic IBS bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating People with celiac disease cannot digest gluten, which is present in wheat, rye, barley, and possibly oats bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating Foods containing gluten are toxic to to these people, and their immune system responds by damaging the small intestine bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating A blood test can determine whether celiac disease is present bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating (For information about celiac disease, see the Celiac Disease fact sheet from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) .) Researchers Researchers have also found that women with IBS may have more symptoms during their menstrual periods, suggesting that reproductive hormones can exacerbate IBS problems bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating Some evidence suggests that IBS is affected by the immune system, which fights infection in the body bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating The immune system is also affected by by stress bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating For all these reasons, stress management is an important part of treatment for IBS bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating Stress management comprises Sometimes people with IBS have a crampy urge to move their bowels but cannot do so or pass mucus with their bowel movements bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating stress reduction (relaxation) training and and relaxation therapies, such as meditation stress, conflict, or emotional upsets Stress--feeling mentally or emotionally tense, troubled, angry, or overwhelmed--stimulates colon spasms in people with IBS bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating The colon has a vast supply of nerves that connect it to the brain bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating These nerves control the normal rhythmic contractions of of the colon and cause abdominal discomfort at stressful times bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating People often experience cramps or butterflies when they are nervous or upset bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating But with IBS, the colon can be overly responsive to even slight conflict or stress bloating-pregnancy-and-bloating Stress also makes the mind more tuned to the sensations | 