Eating Right, Getting Enough Exercise and Sleep Among First Treatments for IBS in New Guidelines
People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) should try to manage their symptoms by adjusting their eating, exercise, and sleep habits before seeking out an IBS specialist or gastroenterologist for medications or other types of treatment, new clinical guidelines advise.The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) published two sets of guidelines in the journal Gastroenterology: one for IBS-C, where patients experience constipation; and one for IBS-D, which involves diarrhea. These guidelines detail for the first time what interventions patients should try, as well as the best times to consider newer drugs as opposed to older medications, according to a statement from the AGA.Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which affects up to 35 million Americans, is a chronic gastrointestinal condition that impairs proper functioning of the small and large intestines, often causing cramps, diarrhea, constipation, and…