Make These 5 Lifestyle Changes To Manage IBD Symptoms, Says Gastroenterologist
Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Endoscopy specialist Dr. Lovkesh Anand shares a few practical things that people with IBD can do for better health.
Published : May 19, 2026 at 3:51 PM IST
Living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) can be mentally and physically tiring because symptoms don’t always behave the same way. There are days when people feel almost normal, and then there are days when even eating something simple feels uncomfortable.
What Is IBD?
IBD is a group of chronic inflammatory conditions that affhect the digestive tract.
“Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis affect the digestive tract and commonly cause stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea, tiredness, and sudden urgency to use the washroom,” says Dr. Lovkesh Anand, Director & Unit Head, Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Endoscopy at Max Super Speciality Hospital in Dwarka. Medicines are important and should never be ignored, but daily habits also have an impact on how the body feels.
He adds that people living with IBD should also avoid taking painkillers or antibiotics without medical advice. Certain medicines like NSAIDs may irritate the digestive tract and worsen your pain.
Dr. Anand shares a few practical lifestyle changes can help people feel more comfortable and reduce frequent symptom problems.
1. Learn Your Food Triggers
One thing doctors often tell IBD patients is that trigger foods are different for everyone. Some foods may trouble few people more than others. While a few individuals notice discomfort after eating spicy or oily meals others may feel symptoms worsen after dairy products, packaged snacks or excess caffeine.
Rather than depending completely on online diet charts, it is often more useful to pay attention to how your own body reacts after meals. Maintaining a small record of daily diet and symptoms for some time may help identify foods that are not suiting you. When symptoms become more active, homemade meals are generally easier on the stomach and more comfortable to digest. Foods like khichdi, curd, rice, bananas, soups, toast, and boiled vegetables are generally better tolerated compared to oily or processed food.
2. Don’t Ignore Hydration
Frequent diarrhoea can drain the body faster than most people realise. Sometimes weakness, dizziness, or headaches are simply signs that the body needs more fluids. Water intake becomes especially important when symptoms are active. Coconut water, homemade fluids, soups, lemon water, and ORS may also help maintain electrolyte balance. At the same time, reducing alcohol, soft drinks, and too much tea or coffee may help because these drinks can irritate the stomach in some people.
3. Stress Can Affect Gut Health
Stress may not be direct reason behind IBD, but many people notice that their symptoms tend to worsen during stressful times. Less sleep, pressure of work, anxiety and emotional exhaustion can all affect the gut health. Make it a habit to go for a walk outdoors, practice meditation, listen to soothing music and do pranayama or certain deep breathing exercises. These will calm the mind. Sometimes, airing out your thoughts to another person is therapeutic, so join a support group or talk to a therapist.
4. Get Enough Sleep
Ever noticed how you are cranky the entire day if you've had a restless night? The body does not recover fully if you haven't slept enough. The fatigue from lack of sleep is worse during active symptom phases. So, try to sleep at the same time every night. Avoid heavy meals and cut down on screen time before bed. These changes to maintain “sleep hygiene” may gradually improve your sleep quality and keep up your energy levels.
5. Avoid Smoking
Smoking is scientifically known to worsen Crohn’s disease. If you are a smoker living with IBD, then quitting is the best thing you can do for your gut health.
(Note: Since every person experiences IBD differently, discuss diet or lifestyle changes with a specialist.)
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