Bowel Health

IBS is a very common condition covering a range of symptoms including stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. Unlike the inflammatory bowel diseases* such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis or autoimmune diseases like coeliac disease, IBS is not life threatening but it can significantly reduce quality of life.

 

While no single cause of IBS has been identified, the role of the nervous system, particularly the nerves that connect the digestive system to the brain, has been recognised as playing a key role.  In IBS these nerves become oversensitive to various stimuli such as particular foods in the gut and stimulate bowel activity resulting in IBS symptoms. Traditionally, treatment has involved identifying and eliminating trigger foods and medicines that treat symptoms in the short term but don’t resolve the underlying condition. More recently, an approach called gut-directed hypnotherapy has been shown to help IBS symptoms without eliminating foods.

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Chronic constipation is a form of IBS that affects many women and damages their quality of life, but this condition is often not taken seriously by medical professionals and effective solutions have not been made widely available. However, chronic constipation can be permanently resolved. A course of treatment involves judicious use of laxatives alongside dietary changes and relaxation techniques to facilitate regular bowel movements.