School can be tough enough with exams, tight class schedules, and locker room drama. But irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often adds an extra challenge.
IBS can cause many unpleasant symptoms, including:
These symptoms may not necessarily pose a danger to your health, but they can still cause a lot of distress, something you may already know for yourself if your stomach ever started gurgling in a crowded conference room.
If you’re a student dealing with IBS symptoms, you’ve got plenty of company. IBS affects approximately 3 million Americans each year, including many adolescents and young adults.
Still, you don’t have to live in fear of the vagaries of your colon. Instead, consider trying these eight strategies to manage your IBS symptoms at school and potentially make your life a little easier.
Cafeteria food is not always friendly to sensitive intestines. School lunch staples that can trigger IBS symptoms include:
Pizza: Cheese, garlic, onions, and other common ingredients can affect digestion when you have IBS.Baked Beans: Beans, peas, and lentils can cause bloating and gas.Potato chips: High-fat fried foods can often cause diarrhea if you have a sensitive stomach.Broccoli and cauliflower: These vegetables can cause constipation or diarrhea, especially when eaten raw.Diet soda: Artificial sweeteners can cause cramps or diarrhea.
Packing your own lunch allows you to control what you eat throughout the day. For example, if you crave chicken tenders but your school’s version makes you gassy, try baking chicken pieces instead of frying them. Small adjustments like these can make a big difference to the health of your intestines.
As a bonus, preparing your own lunch allows you to avoid the long cafeteria lines and spend the entire lunch period enjoying your food. When you eat at a slower pace, you give your digestive system more time to react to incoming food.
Make friends with fiber and water
Fiber and water can help stool move through the body.
To manage IBS symptoms, the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders recommends consuming 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day and staying hydrated by drinking 8 glasses of fluid per day.
A spastic colon is rarely a patient colon. If you try to hold everything in, your pain is likely to get worse until you relieve yourself. You’d rather avoid going to the bathroom in the middle of class, but this is likely to draw less attention than the worst case scenario: an accident.
Taking a seat by the door can help make your departure less inconspicuous. If you sit in the middle of the room, you’ll have to stand up, dodge everyone in your line, and cross the room to get out. But if you sit right next to the door, you can sneak around without needing to maneuver around anyone else.
If you think you will have to leave class on a regular basis, you will probably want to let your teacher know about your medical situation.
Since IBS can count as a disability, you may be eligible for accommodations, according to the US Department of Education. A permanent hall pass can be accommodation.
Are you in college and no longer need permission to leave class? Still, giving your teacher a hint ahead of time can help avoid awkward questions mid-lesson.
For many people, IBS symptoms are worse in the morning.
Your colon isn’t as active at night, so there’s sometimes a bit of a delay when you wake up and eat breakfast, which can lead to symptoms of constipation, according to 2020 research. Morning cortisol levels may also play a role .
If you’re a college student with IBS symptoms in the morning, you may want to sign up for classes in the afternoon and evening, when you may have fewer bowel problems.
Of course, you don’t have much control over your school hours in high school. Still, you might consider asking your counselor about scheduling study hall or a free period in the morning to have a built-in bathroom break.
Remember, it’s okay to take the time you need to do your job. Having a bowel movement is a process that can take longer if you have IBS, so be patient with your body.
If you menstruate, your cycle can have a major effect on your intestines. The hormones estrogen and progesterone can reduce muscle contractions in the intestines, slowing the movement of stool through the body. This can cause constipation during the luteal phase (the stage between ovulation and menstruation).
During your period, your estrogen and progesterone levels drop, allowing your intestinal muscles to move more freely than normal. This change helps explain why diarrhea and pain commonly occur during the menstrual period.
Tracking your period throughout each phase can offer insight into your future gut health. In short, IBS symptoms can occur at any time, but you may want to take extra care of yourself the week of your period.
Packing a supply kit in your backpack can relieve some of your stress about how you’ll manage IBS symptoms away from home.
May include some over-the-counter (OTC) medications, including:
Just keep in mind that you’ll usually only want to use these medications for short-term relief, not ongoing treatment. When using these medications, always follow the dosage instructions on the label and consult a healthcare professional before using them for long periods of time.
If over-the-counter medications don’t relieve your symptoms, consulting a health professional is a good option. They may prescribe medications that you can safely take for a longer period of time.
Stress can often make IBS symptoms worse.
Since stress increases inflammation in the colon, it can lead to swelling, spasms, and increased pain signals from the nerves. Stress can also make both constipation and diarrhea worse, although your specific symptoms may depend on the IBS subtype you have.
But how do you de-stress while doubled over in pain in a public restroom? Your usual breathing exercises may not be as relaxing, given the environment. Some other options to find some calm include:
abdominal massage
Rubbing your abdomen can help relieve constipation and pain, according to 2013 research.
Try to start with gentle pressure – the goal is to relax, not physically manipulate your bowels. If a particular area feels tender, you may want to move on to other parts of your abdomen to loosen things up.
Progressive muscle relaxation
You can also try progressive muscle relaxation.
Here’s how to test it:
Squeeze your face as hard as you can for 3 breaths. Hold for 3 breaths. Then relax your face, noticing the warm relief as your muscles relax. Repeat with other muscles, working your way down from your shoulders to your chest and arms, letting the heat spread through you. Once you have practiced on other parts of your body, you can try it on your abdomen. Squeeze your core for 3 breaths, hold, and then release. You can repeat this process with your abdomen, or you can go on to relax your buttocks and legs.
When you’re done, your body may feel less tense than before.
Like any chronic medical condition, IBS can sometimes make it very difficult to focus on your schoolwork, or anything else.
According to a 2019 survey of 1,885 people with IBS who were working or attending school, IBS symptoms:
reduced productivity an average of 8 days per month caused participants to miss an average of 1.5 days of work or school per month caused 6% of participants to miss at least 6 days of work or school per month
Keeping up with your schoolwork by doing a little each day can help you minimize IBS-related interruptions.
To put it another way, if you drop all studying for the Monday exam until Sunday night, the stress of procrastination can trigger an IBS episode and you may not be able to study at all.
If you miss a lot of school on a regular basis, ask your teacher how you can get your class grades. Some schools may even offer the option to view lessons remotely at home.
A guidance or school counselor acts as an advocate for students, so they can offer support in handling any concerns related to IBS, including:
bullying or harassment trouble getting teachers to take your medical needs seriously changing schedules to accommodate your needs
They can also, in some cases, help you explore other factors that could be contributing to IBS symptoms. Many people with IBS also live with mental health problems, for example.
According to research from 2021, people with IBS are three times more likely to have an anxiety disorder and four times more likely to have a mood disorder such as depression. These conditions can sabotage your sleep and raise stress levels, often making IBS symptoms worse.
Treating those issues can often make all the difference when it comes to IBS symptoms. If you’re not sure how to get support on your own, a counselor may suggest next steps, such as contacting a therapist or doctor to learn more about treatment options.
IBS can ruin your school life, but it doesn’t have to ruin your education. Small changes, like packing your own lunch or practicing relaxation techniques, can help you manage your symptoms.
If the strategies above don’t do much to improve your daily routine, a good next step might be to see a gastroenterologist for more personalized support.
Emily Swaim is a freelance health writer and editor specializing in psychology. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from Kenyon College and a master’s degree in writing from California College of the Arts. In 2021, she received her certification from the Board of Editors in Life Sciences (BELS). You can find more of her work on GoodTherapy, Verywell, Investopedia, Vox, and Insider. She finds her on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Source: www.healthline.com