IBS Awareness Month - How likely are you to develop IBS?
Did you know that 1 out of 20 people in the US has Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)? The total number adds up to 30 million people. You possibly know one person that has this condition. Printerval surely cannot miss out on this day to give an insight into IBS Awareness Month.
What is IBS Awareness Month?
In 1997, The International Federation of Food and Grocery Distributors (IFFGD) established April as IBS Awareness Month. Its mission is to raise public awareness of the disease while also providing information on treating it.
What is IBS?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits without finding any physical damage.
Who is likely to get IBS?
IBS is common in young people and middle-aged adults. The highest incidence is from 18-30 years old and decreases after 50. Women have the disease more than men, with a ratio of 2:1.
People with a high level of education, students, and officials have a higher incidence of the disease than workers, farmers, urban areas are more susceptible to the disease in rural areas.
What causes IBS?
The condition's cause is ambiguous; nevertheless, it is linked to several reasons. The three most important elements are intestinal infections, psychological disorders, and genetic factors.
- Intestinal infections: The number of immune system cells is higher than average in the guts of some patients with IBS. This immune system overreaction is associated with abdominal pain and diarrhea.
- Psychological Disorders: Excessive tension, fatigue, prolonged insomnia are also the causes of irritable bowel syndrome.
- Hereditary Causes: People with family members infected with this disease are more likely to develop the condition. Genes could play a key influence in illness development.
What are the symptoms?
The signs and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome vary widely. The most popular include:
- Abdominal pain, cramping, or bloating are often relieved, causing the patient to have bowel movements more than once to ease discomfort.
- Farting a lot.
- Diarrhea or constipation, sometimes alternating episodes of diarrhea and constipation.
How to treat IBS at home
- Do regular exercise and medicate to manage stress
- Change eating habits and lifestyles, including:
- Stay away from alcohol, fatty foods, chocolate, and caffeinated drinks
- Eat more fruits and vegetables to increase your fiber intake
- Breaking down meals
- Take medicine to help relieve constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and cramps.
Why is IBS Awareness Month important?
Although IBS is a common condition, few patients fully understand it, and no actual cure has been discovered. Also, the patients are not open to discussing due to humiliation.
Patients suffer a lot from strict diets and schedules. They need to have a detailed plan whenever going out to find the nearest toilets, or the pain will not stop.
The constant stress of immediately finding a clean and quiet bathroom gives rise to anxiety, ultimately deteriorating the ailment.
This is exactly why IBS Awareness Month came into existence. It is a blessing to have a community where you can find someone to sympathize with and discuss your own problems related to the conditions without feeling embarrassed.
How to participate in IBS Awareness Month
Share the knowledge: Although the disease is prevalent, few people know about its existence. Spread the knowledge provided above to more people so sufferers are no longer confused and can assist each other.
Participate in an IBS support group: Individuals can anonymously share their thoughts and feelings in online forums like Nerva's Circle of Trust.
Purchase IBS-related products: What is a better way than buying products that help spread the image of IBS, thus enhancing people’s awareness of the condition? Printerval.com offers various IBS designs like IBS T-Shirts
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disease that is not life-threatening but badly affects the quality of life. Let's work together to increase awareness of IBS and assist individuals to live better lives during IBS Awareness Month.