Often women in New Zealand who live with hidden illnesses such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and food intolerances suffer in silence or learn to live with them (Pimentel, 2007). Many of these women never have a chance outside a doctor’s room to say what it is like for them, especially how they cope with the psychosocial effect.
Irritable bowel syndrome is a common disorder of gastrointestinal function with symptoms that can include abdominal pain, constipation and/or diarrhoea. Many patients report that diet affects symptoms and guidelines identify first- and second-line dietary treatments to improve symptoms. This article discusses recent improvements in standards of care for patients, with an emphasis on diet, and suggests a new approach to treating patients that is clinically effective and reduces costs.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a condition that can impact up to 1 in 8 people, and is characterized by gut symptoms including abdominal pain, intestinal gas/wind, bloating, and changed bowel habit (ranging from diarrhea to constipation). Symptoms can often be debilitating and lead to a reduced quality of life. Based upon an approach that limits the intake of dietary sugars capable of distending the bowel and triggering a range of symptoms, The Low FODMAP Diet was established by Monash University in Australia in 2005, and is increasingly being accepted as the primary management strategy for IBS.
What is a food allergy? A food allergy is a medical condition where there’s an abnormal immune reaction to some food. Now, a variety of food proteins can cause food allergies, but the most common are known as the big eight, these include proteins within milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, shellfish, soy, and wheat.
On the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast, Dr. Robert Kraichely, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, discusses treatment for irritable bowel syndrome. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common intestinal problem that affects more than 30 million Americans. Signs and symptoms can include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas and a change in bowel habits. While IBS is a chronic condition, many people can control their symptoms by managing diet, lifestyle and stress.
Learning Objective: Assess current pharmacologic treatment options for functional GI disorders.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition that affects the functioning of the bowel.
The main symptoms are abdominal pain or discomfort that is often relieved by passing wind or faeces, stomach bloating, and chronic diarrhoea or constipation (or alternating between the two).
Once regarded as a ‘diagnosis of exclusion’, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is now considered to have well-defined clinical features, along with a specific diagnosis criteria (Rome Criteria). Nonetheless, IBS is often an enduring condition where the symptoms can be debilitating, severely impacting social activities, work and life in general.
