Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a very common health condition and many don't know they have it! It affects 10-15% (25 - 45 million people) of the US population and 10-20% of the UK's population and affects more women than men.
The original cause of IBS is unknown but many sufferers can pinpoint the time they started experiencing symptoms. It's speculated that it's a miscommunication between the gut, brain and nervous system which causes symptoms. IBS can be very unpredictable which makes it hard to live with and it can be triggered by certain foods, stress or for no reason at all! You can go months without any symptoms and suddenly get symptoms every day for a long period of time.
Symptoms include stomach cramps, bloating, regular constipation and/or diarrhoea. These symptoms are worsened during periods of stress. IBS can be improved through diet changes, exercising more and keeping stress levels low.
It's falsely believed that people with IBS have uncontrollable gas or they're always going to the toilet but this isn't always the case. People experience IBS differently and in different severities. Some people may only have regular bloating or cramping, whilst others have consistent constipation and both come with difficulties. People with IBS have developed depression and anxiety because of the condition.
For those with IBS an additional burden comes from living in
a society where the word "bowel" may scarcely be spoken. Individuals
must cope with multiple symptoms that affect every aspect of their lives. Those around them may be unaware of the impact, or even the existence,
of the disorder.
The impact of IBS can range from mild inconvenience to severe debilitation. It can control many aspects of a person's emotional, social and professional life. Persons with moderate to severe IBS must struggle with symptoms that often impair their physical, emotional, economic, educational and social well-being.
- www.aboutibs.org/
These misconceptions make living with IBS very difficult because people are afraid to tell others about their condition in fear of being ridiculed, so the condition is often hidden in embarrassment.
And that's why I never tell anyone! I've grown to accept my condition, especially seeing others who openly talk about it. As you can see in the picture, the cramping can be extremely severe. I've experienced pain which almost reached the pain I experienced when I dislocated my knee. Imagine being in that pain for hours, but being too afraid to tell anyone so you uncomfortably hide it, whilst your insides feel like they're being ripped apart. I have to hide taking my medication and awkwardly refuse to tell people what I'm taking whilst they guess every medication under the sun that it could be. The bloating can be so bad that I genuinely fear that my intestines will explode inside me and I can't sit down properly. I look about three months pregnant on a bad day when I bloat which can be really embarrassing and tightens my jeans! I bloat nearly every time I have white bread or cider so I have to have medication with me at all times. There are other foods that I haven't recognised as triggers so that makes it unpredictable. It's basically an allergic reaction or hypersensitivity in my gut. During periods of stress, I can have IBS symptoms every day for no reason at all. The condition definitely affects my social, occupational and educational well-being. It has affected my emotional well being a few times.
If you've been wondering if you have IBS, don't be ashamed about going to the doctors or letting people know. It's a painful condition either way so it should be treated with the same amount of respect as any other condition. There are medication you can buy over the counter which does a wonderful job of ridding symptoms or reducing them within half an hour of taking them. I call them my magic pills, they're the best medication I've ever had!
I've had IBS-D since I was around five years old. My mom would get my sister and me hot chocolate a few times a week when I was in elementary. The pain after would fog my mind and I wouldn't be able to focus in school. Then when I was in Jr high, I would have pain after PE and be sent home early. After about five times of this, my mom took me to the doctor and he was trying to decide between an ulcer, Crohn's disease, IBD, or IBS. After he diagnosed me with IBS, I got a butt load of medications (I took about 7-9 pills a day), but still suffered. I couldn't control my stress levels because, I mean, it's Jr high and high school. Just six months ago, I went to the restroom 15 times a day, but I have an upcoming biopsy I'm worried about. It's a half colonoscopy and I've never been under general anesthesia, just local. I'm off all meds, but take fiber and probiotic supplements. It also doesn't help that my job is making very short deadlines and caring for stressed dogs. And I constantly hear people say, "Oh, I have IBS sometimes," and "It's probably only stress."
I found a medicine called culturelle that helps get rid of my bloating gas and diarrhea and constipation and I also found out that I have ibs and the medicine I bought helps me with my symptoms I been having
Are you being serious? I've just stated how this condition affects sufferers' overall well being and causes depression and anxiety, as well as societal stereotypes and you say that.
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