š½ Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) April Awareness
- The Medical Pages
- Apr 10, 2021
- 1 min read
Updated: Dec 8, 2022
š In 1997, International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) designated April as IBS Awareness Month in the U.S. National Health Observances calendar.ā£
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šø An estimate of 10 - 15% of the population is affected by IBSā£
šø Up to 45 million people living in the United States suffer from the conditionā£
šø 20-40% of all visits to the gastroenterologist are due to IBSā£
šø Approx 2 in 3 patients are femaleā£
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ā What is IBS?ā£
IBS is a condition that affects the digestive system. The disease generally causes stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhea and constipation and can be ongoing for weeks, months or longer at a time. The exact cause for this condition is unknown but research is ongoingā£
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š Symptomsā£
šŗAbdominal painā£
šŗDiarrhea and/or constipationā£
šŗBloatingā£
šŗCrampingā£
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Some experience symptoms that are just mild while others have severe daily bowel problems that affects their ability to work, sleep and enjoy lifeā£
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š§Ŗ Diagnosisā£
There is no test for IBS but tests are done to rule out other potential causes of similar symptomsā£
Blood testsā£
Stool sampleā£
Colonoscopyā£
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šØš»āāļø Treatment/Preventionā£
Since no one knows the cause of IBS, it is impossible to prevent the disorder. Once diagnosed, a person may be able to reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms by reducing stress or changing the dietā£.
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ā Doāsā£
š„ Majority of food eaten is homemade or freshā£
š Keep a diary of everything you eat in order to track what triggers symptomsā£
š Take probiotics to help with the overall health of your digestive systemā£
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š« Donātāsā£
šEat unhealthy processed foodsā£
āļø Drink alcohol, caffeine or carbonated drinksā£
š„ Fatty food, whole milk, cheese, and butterā£
𤤠Eat too quickly ā£
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Image by JimCoote
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