7 tips for managing and preventing IBS attacks in the workplace

IBS can often be pretty embarrassing, so suffering with symptoms during work can be truly terrifying for many people. IBS is a fairly common condition, and it can be easily manageable providing you know what to avoid, symptoms to look out for and how to prevent IBS attacks from occurring. Here, Lead Pharmacist Parvinder Sagoo reveals his expert tips for managing and preventing IBS attacks in the workplace. 

Avoid certain food triggers

Eating the wrong food is the number one trigger for IBS and often eating just a tiny amount of something that is not going to agree with you is a sure fire way to ruin your day. Foods you should try to avoid as much as you can would be bread and cereals made with refined grains, so you can try to stick to whole grain bread if you like to enjoy a sandwich for lunch. Dairy products should also be avoided, especially cheese. Avoid certain drinks such as carbonated drinks, alcohol and coffee. If you are on a working lunch with colleagues, try to avoid alcohol where possible, you can always opt for non alcoholic wine so you don’t feel embarrassed. During a work day I would advise eating a lighter lunch and avoiding any key food triggers that could cause you to have an upset stomach all afternoon.

Watch out for early symptoms 

Often people with IBS will be able to tell if an attack is about to come on, this can be from early symptoms which gradually start to get worse as the day goes on. Some of these key symptoms can be stomach pain, cramping, nauseas, constipation, bloating and gas. If you start experiencing symptoms, I would advise taking IBS medication right away to help manage symptoms. And avoid any unnecessary triggers which may make symptoms worse such as coffee or certain foods.

Speak to your boss and coworkers

It may seem embarrassing at first, but letting your boss and coworkers know that you suffer from IBS will allow you to feel more comfortable when it comes to backing out of work events or meetings and they will be able to understand why. If you keep it quiet it could leave you to feel more stressed which could make symptoms worse. Making people you work with aware of your condition will allow you to work better and feel comfortable with taking days off work or canceling work meetings. 

Prevent symptoms with medication

Treating IBS with the appropriate medication is the best way to help prevent symptoms and to relieve any pain. There are a number of different IBS treatments so it's just working out what will work best for you. Speak to your pharmacist or GP to get a better understanding of IBS and how to manage symptoms and prevent future attacks.

Avoid office triggers

Avoiding certain office triggers is key to preventing IBS attacks whilst at work. For example, limiting your coffee intake is crucial. Most often people tend to drink more caffeine in the office as your colleagues may regularly make hot drinks and offer to make you one, it can be easier to say yes than no sometimes but try to stay aware of your situation and try to limit the amount you drink. Everyones different so it depends on how severe your IBS is, but I would suggest limiting it to 2 a day max. You should also be careful with food, so if it's a colleague's birthday and they bring in cake or processed food snacks, try to avoid it where possible. Try to avoid work lunches where you may feel pressured to eat certain foods. 

Limit long meetings, presentations, and travel

Long meetings, travel and presentations can be an IBS sufferer's worst nightmare, so where possible try to limit the amount you are doing. Speak to your boss or colleagues about your situation, chances are one of your colleagues will be happy to take on any meetings or trips that you have to cancel due to IBS. 

Reduce work stress

Stress can be a key trigger for IBS, so trying to reduce any unnecessary stress is key for managing symptoms. Try to keep your workload manageable and keep a good working routine so you don't find yourself working late or burnt out which could increase stress levels. If you do feel stressed which is affecting IBS, speak to your boss or HR about how you can take on a less stressful role, or a better way of working for you and your team.