What
is IBS?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is not life threatening. However, it causes pain and
discomfort, embarrassment, anguish, debilitation and ruins the quality of life
of millions of its victims. It is estimated that one in five suffer from one
form or other of IBS and that women appear to be more prone to it.
In truth, little is known about IBS, but modern pharmacology is making great
advances in controlling and easing the symptoms. One difficulty in assessing
the condition is that it is, in some aspects, functional (not caused by a discernable
organic disease) and is therefore not easily diagnosed in clinical terms. Stress
is considered to play an important role in triggering some IBS symptoms.
(See: Stress
and IBS).
In 1995, through a Quality of Life survey issued through the IBS bulletin, we
asked respondents to list the main inconveniences caused to them by the irritable
bowel syndrome and recorded the following responses:
What are the worst inconveniences of your condition?
| Abdominal pain | 56.6% |
| Limited social life | 38.3% |
| Inability to travel | 24.8% |
| Flatulence | 21.5% |
| Bloating | 18.6% |
| Diet restriction | 14.8% |
| Discomfort | 9.4% |
| Unexpected sudden onset | 7.6% |
| Constipation | 7.1% |
| Distended abdomen | 6.9% |
| Embarrassment | 6.7% |
| Diarrhoea | 6.5% |
| Sleep disturbance | 6.2% |
| Frequency & explosive movements | 5.6% |
| Lack of energy | 4.5% |
| Depression | 4.3% |
| Nausea | 4.1% |
| Embarrassingly noisy Intestines | 3.5% |
| Lethargy | 3.3% |
| Interruptions at work | 3.2% |
| Mental anguish | 2.5% |
| Inability to concentrate | 2.4% |
