You feel bloated, constipated or have diarrhea, especially after eating or first thing in the morning. After going to the bathroom, you feel a strong urge to go again. You disappear after a bowel movement. You get used to these symptoms and accept them as normal but they interfere with your life. The symptoms may worsen when you’re under stress, attend social events or change your daily routine.
Your symptoms may also get worse if you don’t eat correctly or after a big meal. Some people are bothered by certain foods. Women may notice the symptoms during their menstrual periods.
This is a problem that many people have but in many cases are unaware that it is a disorder which can be managed. The disorder — Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS is an intestinal problem resulting from food either moving too quickly or too slowly through the intestines.
At a recent medical conference here, Saudi doctors agreed that IBS has a widespread impact on women in the Kingdom and needs to be treated as a serious medical problem rather than just a lifestyle issue. According to data at the conference, 20 percent of the population suffers from IBS and most refuse to seek medical attention because of embarrassment and because the condition is not perceived as an “illness” either by patients or by medical professionals.
The best way to deal with IBS is to eat a healthy diet, avoid foods that seem to make you feel worse and find ways to handle the stress. Increasing fiber slowly will help. Foods themselves don’t cause IBS but some may make you feel worse. Foods that may make symptoms worse include those high in fat or caffeine. If gas is a problem for you, you might want to avoid foods that tend to make gas worse. Dairy products may seem to make IBS symptoms worse especially if you’re lactose intolerant.
As for ways to handle stress, talk to your doctor about how to deal with stress; possible suggestions include exercise, relaxation training or meditation.
For a long time, little medication was available for IBS sufferers. The recent discussions, however, coincided with the launch of new medication. The prescription-only medicine, Zelmac, is being hailed as a breakthrough which can both ease patients’ symptoms and make their lives more comfortable. Speaking at the launch, Dr. Osama Al-Khatib, consultant gastroenterologist in the Specialized Medical Center Hospital in Riyadh said, “For too long, patients in Saudi Arabia with IBS have suffered in silence, partly because of low levels of awareness about the condition and also because of the lack of treatments to help control the symptoms.” He pointed out that IBS is one of the most common disorders seen by doctors and one which is often extremely uncomfortable for sufferers. “Patients should be urged to visit their doctors and seek treatment because there are new therapies available,” said Dr. Al-Khatib. At the conference, doctors stressed the importance of acknowledging the impact IBS can have on people’s lives. As abdominal pain, bloating and constipation are not associated exclusively with IBS, and because people are often reticent about seeking this kind of medical advice, the condition is commonly under-diagnosed. Part of the aim of the conference was to raise the condition’s profile among physicians while at the same time encouraging sufferers’ confidence in reporting symptoms.