Check out my previous post in which I listed ten facts about IBS. Here are another ten:
1. It can be distressing for some individuals when their doctor is unable to provide a definitive cause or solution for their symptoms. .
2. For many people IBS can be a lifelong condition that have to learn to live with as best they can. Dr Dawn Harper (presenter of TV’s The Embarrassing Bodies) says, “Nobody should just be ‘putting up with it’. So even if it’s years since you first went to your GP and felt like you got nowhere, go back and have a good chat.”
3. The main physical symptoms of IBS are:
Abdominal pain or cramps – usually worse after eating and better after doing a poo.
Bloating – your tummy may feel uncomfortably full and swollen.
Diarrhea – you may have watery poo and sometimes need to poo suddenly.
Constipation – you may strain when pooing and feel like you cannot empty your bowels fully.
Other symptoms that individuals may experience is a sense of urgency, increased flatulence, tiredness and a lack of energy, feeling sick, backache and problems with peeing.
There is no one size fits all, IBS symptoms are as wide and diverse as we are individual.
4. If you do start to experience symptoms like those of IBS it is crucial to visit your GP and have a conversation with him/her about what you are experiencing. The symptoms can be like those associated with more medically serious diseases, like inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn’s) or even bowel cancer, which have clearer diagnostic pathways and where treatments are vital for preventing serious complications.
5. IBS is not only about physical symptoms, it has also thinking and emotional consequences too.
6. IBS sufferers spend a lot of time worrying, they have multiple ‘what if’ scenarios going on inside their heads. “What if there’s no toilet nearby?” “What if we get stuck in a traffic jam?” “What if I need to go when I’m in the middle of my presentation at work?” “What if I have ‘an accident’ in the supermarket” … .
7. Experiencing IBS can be mentally exhausting, as worry consumes a significant amount of mental energy. This constant worrying often leaves individuals feeling tired and drained. Moreover, when worry persists at night, it hinders sleep, leading to sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep can greatly affect digestion and worsen IBS symptoms, creating a vicious cycle.
8. Chronic worrying can cause chronic anxiety which can exacerbate your IBS symptoms..
9. IBS related anxiety drives people to engage in safety behaviours such as:
Plan their outings like military maneuvers, just to try and have some peace of mind that there are going to be toilets available if and when needed.
Avoid places if they’re unsure there’s an easily accessible toilet.
Take their own food to events such as parties or BBQs.
Drive everywhere. Avoiding public transport, trains and planes.
Stay at home.
Avoid anything involving physical activity in case it triggers an accident.
Spend lots of time and energy hiding their condition from family, friends and colleagues.
10. Activation of the survival response releases adrenaline, and adrenaline can slow down the speed of your digestion. “Why should the body digest food or repair itself, when it will be someone else’s lunch?” (Paraphrased from Sapolsky (2004), Why zebras do not get ulcers). This change in speed can cause a sudden, or ongoing feeling of urgency - a need to go to the bathroom. Plus, changes in gut transit time may cause either diarrhea or constipation.