IBS Awareness Month

Irritable bowel syndrome is a longstanding condition which consists of abdominal discomfort any bowel symptoms. There is no specific cause for IBS along with no single effective treatment, though there are many available one treatment may help one person but not the other.

Many symptoms of IBS include abdominal cramps, bloating, constipation or diarrhoea, backache, muscle pains, lethargy and dizziness. Although the symptoms vary from person to person, they have been known to flare-up if you are going through a particularly stressful time.

According to International Foundation of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, 35-40 percent of people who have IBS are male, compared to a staggering 60-65 percent who are female.

A recent study published by Gastroenterology analysed data of more than 330,000 participants in the United Kingdom who suffered from IBS. Results showed that there was a link to DNA variants, specifically chromosome 9, which influences the age that women have their first period.

If you suffer from IBS, you may notice that your symptoms change throughout your menstrual cycle.  This is mainly due to the hormonal changes in your body. Receptor cells for the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone reside throughout your gastrointestinal tract and these hormone fluctuations can then influence the gastrointestinal function which triggers IBS as they increase before your period.

Although there is no one cure for IBS there are steps to take to ensure your symptoms do not flare-up before or during your period. Avoid trigger foods such as dairy and beans, get plenty of exercise and ensure to get enough sleep. Eating a high fibre diet and drinking plenty of fluids can also help to prevent symptoms. By keeping a diary of your period and the foods that you consume throughout the month, you are able to see which foods flare up your IBS along with which days throughout your cycle that may be the worst.