Digestive Health Irritable Bowel Syndrome Living With Top Ways to Make Your IBS Flare Up By Amber J. Tresca facebook twitter linkedin Amber J. Tresca is a freelance writer and speaker who covers digestive conditions, including IBD. She was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at age 16. Learn about our editorial process Amber J. Tresca Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Priyanka Chugh, MD on January 28, 2020 linkedin Priyanka Chugh, MD, is board-certified gastroenterologist with a background in internal medicine. She practices with Trinity Health of New England in Waterbury, Connecticut. Learn about our Medical Review Board Priyanka Chugh, MD on January 28, 2020 Print Keeping irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) under control can feel like a full-time job. That's because it is! IBS requires changes that can be extensive, including altering the diet to avoid trigger foods and adding some stress relief tools into the day. However, these changes can work well in helping to avoid potential pitfalls which in turn may prevent a flare-up of IBS that causes diarrhea or constipation. But not everyone knows what might worsen IBS, especially in the beginning, while figuring out a treatment plan. Are some of these things contributing to IBS flare-ups? 1 Smoke Eva-Katalin / Getty Images Smoking cigarettes affects the entire body, not only the lungs and respiratory tract. When smoke is inhaled into the body, it also enters the stomach and intestines. Tobacco is a known irritant to the digestive tract that can cause bloating, cramping, gas, and stomach rumbling. This, of course, would not help IBS symptoms. 2 Don't Drink Water Carlina Teteris / Getty Images If a body only gets coffee and diet cola all day, we can't expect the digestive tract to work as well as it could. Water is essential to the good health of the entire body. Good water drinking habits will not only be helpful in preventing constipation, but also in replacing fluids lost from diarrhea. 3 Don't Exercise Bill Oxford / Getty Images There is something that people can do in just 30 minutes a day that improves overall health, but most people don't do it. This is what exercise can do. The U.S. Surgeon General recommends getting 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. It doesn't have to be a contiguous 30 minutes; it can also be 3 episodes of 10 minutes, or 2 episodes of 15. Exercise helps with all kinds of issues, including stress, but may also help in relieving constipation. 4 Ignore Stress Maskot / Getty Images Stress does not cause IBS, but it will worsen symptoms. Everyone has stress of one form or another—the important thing is in the reaction to that stress. Turning stress into something positive can help. Use stress to fuel creativity and to spur taking action on problems. Not allowing stress to fester and take hold until it starts affecting health is vital to coping with IBS. 5 Eat Large Meals Burcu Atalay Tankut / Getty Images We all love to eat, but eating 3 large meals a day is not the best strategy for optimal digestive health. Instead, try eating 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day. People with IBS may have a heavy feeling after eating large meals, and eating smaller ones can help avoid that. In addition, the body will receive a steady stream of fuel all day, instead of repeated spikes and dips that can cause downturns in energy level. 6 Skip Sleep PeopleImages / Getty Images Most adults need to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night for optimal health. Scheduling this amount of time for sleep into the day, every day, is challenging, but vital to avoiding IBS flare-ups. Some people have trouble getting to sleep, or in staying asleep. Try practicing better sleep hygiene to improve the quantity and quality of sleep. Serious sleep problems should be brought up with a physician to help solve the problem. 7 Eat Your Trigger Foods Lauri Patterson / Getty Images Trigger foods vary from person to person with IBS, but some basic themes are: fatty foods, fried foods, carbonated beverages, and insoluble fiber. Learning which trigger foods to avoid takes time and energy, but when they're discovered, they can be avoided and that may cut down on flare-ups. 8 Drink Alcoholic Beverages Anton Eine / EyeEm / Getty Images This is a difficult one, especially for those who like to socialize. But beer (which tends to cause gas), wine, and mixed drinks (which often contain other triggers such as fruit juice or caffeinated beverages) can be hard on the gastrointestinal tract. Drinking is a quality of life issue, but in some cases, it might be better to avoid drinking in order to prevent causing a flare-up. 9 Eat Processed Foods Douglas Sacha / Getty Images Processed foods often contain additives such as sugar or fat substitutes. Many of these artificial flavorings are known to be gastrointestinal irritants. Even people who do not have a diagnosed digestive condition may experience gas, diarrhea, bloating, and pain after eating food additives. Look for fresh, whole foods that contain the fewest amount of ingredients. 10 Don't Seek Help Caiaimage / Paul Bradbury / Getty Images Help can come from friends, family, coworkers, and a health-care team. Seek help in sticking to an IBS-friendly diet and in reducing stress. Don't be afraid to accept help and good advice when it is offered from a trusted source. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! One of the most challenging aspects of having IBS is trying to figure out what's safe to eat. Our recipe guide makes it easier. Sign up and get yours now! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Weaver KR, Melkus GD, Henderson WA. Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Am J Nurs. 2017;117(6):48–55. doi:10.1097/01.NAJ.0000520253.57459.01 Kang SH, Choi SW, Lee SJ, et al. The effects of lifestyle modification on symptoms and quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective observational study. Gut Liver. 2011;5(4):472–477. doi:10.5009/gnl.2011.5.4.472 Biedermann L, Zeitz J, Mwinyi J, et al. 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