One of the areas of professional practice I specialise in is Digestive Complaints, and in particular IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).
Minded Institute have published an interesting review on the topic:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a widespread issue. In the UK, between 10 to 20% of people live with this chronic health condition, which causes frequent digestive discomfort and causes symptoms like stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. These symptoms, while they tend to come and go, may last for days, weeks or months, and appear in periods of particular intensity known as “flare ups”.
Unfortunately, the medical community is yet to identify either a cure or a cause for IBS. It is theorised the experience of IBS could be linked to oversensitivity in the gut, food passing too slowly or too quickly through the digestive system, or hormonal changes – with people who menstruate often reporting a worsening of symptoms around their period. There is also a strong suggestion that IBS is exacerbated by stress and anxiety, and symptoms may be related to disturbances in the gut-brain axis.
