April is IBS Awareness month
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common condition worldwide and is thought to affect around 7-10% of the global population1. Symptoms of IBS can include bloating, diarrhoea, constipation and stomach pains amongst others. Due to this, it’s often a difficult condition for sufferers to discuss, as there is still some stigma associated with problems of the gut.
This condition affects an estimated 1 in 5 people in the UK, yet there is still some misunderstanding around the condition and a lack of awareness and education.
Though there are currently no ‘cures’ for IBS, there are a number of things you can do to manage the condition:
- Taking good care of your diet – cooking healthy meals yourself and avoiding foods that give you symptoms will help prevent flare-ups.
- Keeping a diary of foods that can cause issues is also a good idea as this can help you manage it more easily in the future.
- The NHS also suggest seeing a dietician to check whether specific diets may benefit you.
- Planning trips with routes that have toilets on can help people manage the condition while travelling.
GPs will occasionally prescribe medicines stronger than normal pharmacy medicines and these can ease the symptoms of IBS despite them being antidepressants. If none of the medicines work, your GP may refer you to a specialist. Psychological therapies can be offered if other treatments aren’t working.
To find out more about IBS, please visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs/
