IBS - Answers at your fingertips

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is often dismissed as a trivial complaint blown out of proportion by neurotic hypochondriacs. The reality is very different. It is an extremely common and distressing problem affecting up to 20% of the population at any one time. The symptoms include bloating, wind, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and constipation, and the condition can vary in severity. If you suffer from IBS , this book will answer the questions that you were too embarrassed to ask. Based on his long experience as a consultant gastroenterologist. Dr Shmueli provides detailed guidance on all aspects of the condition, answering over 430 questions from people with IBS. IBS: Answers at your Fingertips gives you: Comprehensive answers to all your questions about IBS: its causes, symptoms and treatment Self-help techniques that really work Guidance on identifying other illnesses and disorders that could cause abdominal pain, plus a section explaining relevant medical tests and investigations The latest reseach on food allergy and intolerance Advice on complementary therapies, including herbal medicine, acupuncture and hypnotherapy Questions include: How common is IBS? Is IBS predominantly a disease of Western developed countries? Is IBS associated with indigestion? Do probiotics help? What increases the pain signal from the gut? What do doctors need to know about the nature of the pain to make a diagnosis? If the tests are normal will the doctor think I have wasted his time? Where does all the gas in the bowel come from? Is bloating real? Which foods are most likely to make gas problems and bloating worse? Is there any right number of times to open my bowels each day? What causes constipation? Ive had diarrhoea for almost a month now. What could be causing it? Who gets coeliac disease? What is worse for long-term health constipation or diarrhoea? Why are doctors sceptical about dietary interventions for IBS? Which foods are most commonly involved in food allergy?