Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month
April is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Month. IBS is a disorder that afects the large intestine. If you have IBS, you’re not alone! Worldwide, about 12% of people sufer from IBS. However, many people do not seek medical care. IBS can be an uncomfortable syndrome to deal with day-to-day. Getting it diagnosed can be an essential step to a more comfortable life.
The symptoms of IBS are:
- Abdominal pain
- Altered bowel habits (appearance or frequency)
- Bloating
- Increased gas
- Mucus
- Bowel not feeling fully emptied
- Diarrhea
Although uncomfortable, some people have milder symptoms and can manage IBS through lifestyle or diet changes. However, if you are noticing any of these symptoms, it’s essential to see a doctor to get evaluated:
- Diarrhea at night
- Losing weight unexplainably
- Rectal bleeding
- Pain that doesn’t go away
- Anemia
- Problems with swallowing
- Vomiting
What Causes IBS?
Doctors haven’t come to a consensus about the definite cause of IBS. However, some medical professionals believe that it may be related to changes in how intestines move, how the gut senses pain or a previous infection in the gut.
Patients’ IBS can be triggered by specific foods or increased stress. These factors do not cause IBS, but they can worsen the symptoms.
Who Gets IBS?
No one is exempt from IBS. However, some factors make a person more likely to have it. People more likely to have IBS are:
- Under 50
- Female
- Suffering from mental health issues
- Likely to have genes related to IBS (or a family history of IBS)
Our Promise to Nicholas Foundation
On Saturday, April 16, the
Our Promise to Nicholas Foundation
held an Egg Hunt Festival.
We are proud to share some of the fun with you all with these photos of the event and report the event’s great success!
Our Promise to Nicholas Foundation (OPTN) is a nonprofit charitable foundation near and dear to us here at Granite State.
This foundation is championing the mission to cure Batten Disease once and for all. Batten Disease impacts two to four children out of 100,000. It triggers seizures, blindness, and immobility, ultimately causing death in children affected between the ages of eight and twelve.
Chris and Heather Dainiak, part of our GSGI family, founded OPTN after their son, Nicholas, was diagnosed in 2009. When Nicholas lost his battle with Batten on his 11th birthday, Chris and Heather kept the foundation going to keep their promise to him and bring new hope to families suffering from this disease.
If you missed the Egg Hunt and still would like to get involved, visit the website for more information: http://ourpromisetonicholas.com/.
Patient Education
Two Types of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
There are two types of IBS that we will cover here to raise awareness. Many people think IBS looks extremely similar from one person to another, but there can be various symptoms.
IBS-C is classified as irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. These symptoms can vary from:
- Bloating
- Gas
- Abdominal pain and discomfort
- Infrequent bowel movements
- Hard or lumpy stools
- Straining to pass stools
- A feeling that the bowels aren’t entirely empty
IBS-D includes all the symptoms of IBS, plus the onset of frequent bowel movements and diarrhea. Some of these symptoms do overlap with IBS-C, but there are notable differences:
- Bloating
- Gas
- Abdominal cramping
- Irregular menstrual periods
- Loose stools
- Frequent stools
- Nausea
- Unexpected and sudden urge to empty the bowel
How Are the Types Diagnosed?
Being diagnosed with IBS can significantly improve the patient’s quality of life, especially if symptoms are bothering them daily.
When you visit a doctor for IBS, the doctor will review your medical history and conduct a physical examination. The Rome criteria will help diagnose IBS. Because symptoms can change over time or look like other disorders, IBS has previously been difficult to diagnose. International experts developed the Rome criteria to help classify symptoms and criteria to diagnose IBS. It has been revised and updated as we learn and research more about irritable bowel syndrome.
If you are experiencing any symptoms of IBS and they are impacting your life negatively, please set up an appointment. You do not have to live with that discomfort! The specialists here at Granite State Gastroenterology can help.
Office Updates
The GSG team had some Easter Fun! We’re so proud to have such a wonderful team!
We welcomed a new team member this month!
Sarah Pelletier is the newest rockstar on our amazing
Medical Admin Professional Team — we’re so grateful to have her!