There still seems to be a lot of stigma attached to bowel symptoms. People would rather talk e.g. about a problem in their sex lives than the fact that they have painful constipation. Irritable bowel syndrome or (IBS) causes a wide variety of symptoms. You may experience constipation, diarrhoea and wind. Other parts of the body can be affected as well e.g. pain in muscles and joints, headache, dizziness and tiredness. More worringly, it can trigger feelings of depression, anxiety and hopelesness. No wonder you may have difficulty talking about it!

IBS occurs in about one in five people in the UK and women are about three times more likely than men to experience the syndrome. Because, when you undergo tests such as an X-ray, scan or blood tests your bowel looks normal and the cause remains unknown, it almost seems that health professionals do not understand. But we do actually understand and e. g. we know that emotional stress can play an important factor and it may be that interaction with the body, the mind-body interaction that manifests in an uncomfortable bowel. Patients with more emotional upset in their lives experience more severe symptoms than health patients.

Maybe you seem to be worse when a particular food is eaten. Research by Professor Whorewell published in the journal Gut in October 2004 looked at excluding certain foods from the diet. The main foods that on exclusion produced a 26% improvement in symptoms were: yeast, milk, whole egg, wheat, cashews, peas, chicken, shellfish and cabbage.

Eating moderate portions at regular intervals can balance out the sensitvity of your bowel.

If you have constipation them try to eat both insoluble and soluble fibre. Examples of insoluble fibre are wholemeal bread, brown rice and pasta. Examples of soluble fibre are oats, beans, peas, lentils, fruit and vegetables. If you suffer from diarrhoea then avoid foods with strings, seeds or pips.

Hypnothrapy has been studied as a treatment for IBS. Peter Whorwell, professor of medicine and gastroenterology at South Manchester University Hospital found during clinical trials that it was extremely effective in improving symptoms and quality of life.

Speaking to a trained counsellor or just a kind friend can be helpful in working out emotional upsets which could be contributing to the symptoms.

Restoring the bowel’s bacterial population can sometimes help. A product such as Lactobacillus can be helpful for IBS sufferers.