Managing IBS With Personal Care at Home

By Jamie Shapiro | July 10, 2023 | Comments Off on Managing IBS With Personal Care at Home
Personal Care at Home

The National Institute of Health estimates that as many as 20% of seniors have symptoms that are consistent with IBS, even if they don’t have an IBS diagnosis. The symptoms of IBS in seniors can include things like:

  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Bloating
  • Nausea
  • Abdominal pain and cramping

For seniors these symptoms can be intense and embarrassing. Personal care at home can help seniors who have IBS manage their symptoms. With personal care at home seniors don’t have to worry about occasional accidents. They will have the help they need to keep things clean and sanitary at home.
IBS symptoms can be helped by medication in some cases. However, seniors will also need to change their diets and make other lifestyle changes to prevent flare ups of IBS. Some of the things that seniors can do to manage IBS include:

Dietary Changes

Seniors are what they eat. Diet has a big impact on health for everyone, but especially for seniors. Changing what they eat can make a big difference in how often seniors have flares of IBS. IBS can be triggered by processed food and foods that typically affect people with dietary sensitivity. Seniors who have IBS should avoid eating:

  • Caffeine
  • Alcohol
  • Carbonated drinks
  • Milk products
  • High-sugar foods
  • Fatty foods
  • Beans
  • Cabbage
  • Broccoli
  • Artificial sweeteners sorbitol and xylitol

Seniors may need to try several different diets designed for people with IBS to find what foods trigger their IBS so they avoid those foods. An anti-inflammatory diet can also help manage IBS in seniors. Doctors also recommend that seniors try the FODMAP diet to find out what is causing their IBS symptoms and eliminate those foods.

Lower Stress Levels

Stress is a contributing factor in IBS flares. Seniors who are going through a lot of stress because of life changes, losing a partner, medical issues, or other stressful events may experience more severe IBS symptoms. Using tools like meditation, journaling, and therapy to reduce stress can help manage IBS symptoms. Lowering stress can improve a senior’s overall health as well as helping with IBS.

Exercise

Consistent exercise has many benefits for seniors, including helping to reduce IBS flares. Regular exercise that consists of at least 20 minutes of movement most days of the week helps seniors lower their stress levels. That can help with IBS. And regular exercise also can help regulate the digestive tract which can also help with IBS. Just 20 minutes of exercise a day will dramatically improve a senior’s health.

Probiotics

Taking probiotics or eating foods that contain probiotics can help balance the gut flora that a senior has. When the gut bacteria is balanced or there is more good bacteria than bad IBS flare ups are a lot less likely. Seniors may want to try probiotic supplements to help with IBS. Or they can eat foods like yogurt or kefir which have natural probiotics in them. Foods like sauerkraut and kimchi or any other fermented foods also contain naturally helpful probiotics.

If you or an aging loved one are considering personal care at home in Deerfield, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.

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Jamie Shapiro
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