Brief Answer:
Recognising and avoiding your triggering factors is the main approach

Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.

Thank you for writing to us.

I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. The best way to avoid the symptoms or episodes of IBS are to recognise and avoid your triggering factors. Triggering factors are food or drinks that can cause a flare-up of your IBS resulting in symptoms that you must already know.

Let me list some of the most common triggering factors for IBS:

+Popcorn
+Cabbage
+Fatty, oily, fried food
+Chocolates
+Alcohol
+Smoking
+Stress
+Carbonated drinks
+Milk and dairy products (Especially in lactose intolerant individuals)
+Gluten (especially in gluten intolerant individuals)
and many others.

I too have been diagnosed with IBS, and since being educated in medicine I have prevented my IBS episodes to a large extent. Along with this, I would also recommend the use of medication depending on the condition you have (i.e. either ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease).

Personally, I also use medications but only when I have a flare-up of my symptoms. Other than these two approaches, there is nothing more we can do. But recognising your trigger factors and avoiding them is key.

I hope you find my response helpful. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help.

Best wishes.

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