IBS Awareness Month April 2015

IBS Awareness Month April 2015

IBS is a common, long term condition of the digestive system affecting up to 1 in 5 people at some point in their lives causing bouts of abdominal cramps, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation and fatigue. During the month of April we want to raise awareness of the condition and suggest ways in which symptoms may be controlled and quality of life improved.

Symptoms vary tremendously from person to person and some suffer more than others. Attacks can last days or months and may be triggered by stress, anger, grief or certain types of food – commonly alcohol, fizzy drinks, caffeine, chocolate, fat and processed snacks.

We always recommend that people visit their GP to rule out other conditions for which a different approach may be more appropriate before trying any of the suggestions below:

• Keep a food diary in order to try and identify any foodstuffs that trigger or worsen an attack.  Some people report cutting out gluten and/or dairy gives some improvement.
• Add more fibre to your diet and try to take some form of regular exercise.
• Eat regularly – preferably little and often.
• Keep well hydrated – suggest around 8 glasses of water daily. Drinking teas such as Ginger or peppermint may also help.
• Probiotics may be helpful to promote a balanced internal environment, optimal digestion and immune health.
• Oils such as fish oil or evening primrose ion capsule form appear to calm the lining of the gut.
• You may want to consider the Homeopathic approach which tends to rely on identifying a trigger such as anger, grief or stress.

We have a wide range of products both on our web site and in our shop in Brighton which may help you to reduce your symptoms and quality of life if you suffer from this miserable complaint.

Why not check out our IBS & Digestion page.