Take control of your IBS: Here’s how Oshi care helps you finally find relief

If you’re living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you probably know it doesn’t just affect your digestion—it can touch every part of your life. It can make everyday activities—like work and household chores—feel harder than they should. Not to mention that symptoms can disrupt moments that matter, like plans with loved ones or exciting travel plans.

And, research shows a strong link between IBS and mental health, with many people experiencing anxiety or depression alongside their gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms.

Sick of living with chronic bloating and other unpredictable symptoms that get in the way of life? Oshi Health is here to help you finally say goodbye to IBS.

Our GI specialists, including GI providers, gut-brain experts, and registered dietitians, work together to figure out what works for your body. Diagnosing what’s really going on, creating a personalized treatment plan that makes sense for your life, and offering ongoing support so you’re never left hanging—all backed by rigorous clinical research.

Read on to learn more about how we tackle the root cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) at Oshi Health.

How we diagnose irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Getting to the root of IBS starts with understanding the whole you. At Oshi Health, our GI specialists dig deep, looking at your symptoms, medical history, and lifestyle to put together a full picture.

They’ll ask you questions like when your symptoms show up, how often, and whether certain foods, situations, or behaviors seem to trigger them.

Your provider will also consider:

• Diet and food triggers
• Lifestyle and habits, like sleep and exercise
• Your medical and family history
• Stress and mental health
• Any current or previously tried medications and supplements
• Previous medical procedures

Got past test results? Great. No tests yet? That’s fine, too. We’ll review what’s relevant and only recommend additional testing if it’s truly necessary.

What might prompt additional testing:

• Blood in stool
• New symptoms after age 50
• Unexplained weight loss
• Nighttime diarrhea
• Fever
• Iron deficiency anemia
• Family history of colorectal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease
• Celiac disease

It can take up to 5 years for many people with IBS to get a diagnosis with traditional care. With Oshi Health, 92% of patients achieve symptom relief in less than 4 months.

Using clear guidelines like the Rome IV diagnostic criteria, we pinpoint patterns in your symptoms to reach a diagnosis—no diagnosis of exclusion here.

A diagnosis of exclusion is when healthcare professionals reach a diagnosis by a process of elimination. Medical professionals might use this approach when there’s no reliable diagnostic test or criteria for a condition.

Doctors used to diagnose IBS after ruling out other conditions—and some healthcare professionals still approach it that way—but it’s since been reclassified as a disorder of the gut-brain interaction (DGBI) (AKA a gut-brain disorder).

With a gut-brain disorder like IBS, your digestive system might appear “normal” with imaging, while you suffer from very real symptoms like chronic bloating, indigestion, and diarrhea. Experts believe DGBIs like IBS are a result of a break in the communication between the brain and GI tract. And at Oshi, we take the inextricable link between the mind and the gut very seriously.

IBS treatment that goes beyond the symptoms

Managing IBS is about more than addressing symptoms when they happen—it also involves understanding and treating the root causes to improve your overall well-being and quality of life.

Here’s how we approach IBS treatment at Oshi Health.

1. Dietary support

Our registered dietitians work with you to uncover potential food triggers and eating behaviors that might make symptoms worse.

Common IBS food triggers include:

• Carbonated drinks
• Fried or fatty foods
• High-fructose foods
• Lactose-containing foods
• Caffeine

Together with your Oshi RD, you’ll explore strategies like:

• Adjusting fiber intake based on your symptoms
• Eating smaller, more frequent meals
• Identifying and managing high FODMAP FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. These carbohydrates can trigger IBS symptoms in some people. food intake

Your Oshi RD will guide you toward changes that fit your lifestyle—without you needing to give up the foods you love.

Lifestyle habits that may help with symptom relief:

• Improving sleep hygiene
• Regular exercise
• Improving toilet posture and positioning

2. Gut-brain therapies

There’s a close link between stress and digestion (AKA the gut-brain connection), and managing it is key to IBS symptom relief.

Our gut-brain specialists are licensed psychologists and social workers trained in science-backed gut-brain behavior therapies to help you break the stress-symptom cycle. They’ll provide evidence-based tools to help you reduce GI symptoms by managing your nervous system’s gut-disrupting reactions to stress.

3. Personalized medication recommendation

When needed, medication can complement lifestyle, dietary, and behavioral changes. Your provider might suggest options like:

• Fiber supplements
• Peppermint oil to help with gas, bloating, and abdominal pain
• Magnesium oxide or Miralax for constipation
• Prescription meds based on your unique needs

Ongoing care for IBS

While there’s no cure for IBS, it’s possible to effectively manage and limit symptoms to improve your quality of life. Your Oshi Health care team can help you figure out an ongoing care plan that fits your unique symptoms, goals, and lifestyle.

Our providers work hard to provide you with the tools and knowledge to self-manage your IBS symptoms. But we’re also here to help during flare-ups or whenever you need some extra support.

You can connect with your care team via 24/7 chat messaging or by scheduling a virtual appointment that fits your schedule—including on evenings and weekends.

Takeaway

Whole-person care for IBS means your treatment plan is tailored to you and just you. Oshi Health GI specialists work together to address the root cause of your symptoms by tackling diet, lifestyle, and the gut-brain connection—and help you take back control of your life.

Achieve lasting IBS symptom relief with Oshi Health: Schedule your first appointment in 3 minutes or less!

*Names have been changed to maintain confidentiality