Digestive Health Specialists, PA is here to help if you, or someone you know, would like more information or if you are experiencing any digestive health symptoms and would like further evaluation. Feel free to call us at 336-768-6211 or fill out the form below.
National Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Day: April 19th
April 19th is National “Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Day.” IBS is a gastrointestinal disorder that has gotten much attention over the last few months as this topic has taken TikTok by storm. Videos with the hashtag IBS garnered over 1.6 billion views. The awareness this has gained can certainly be beneficial as IBS can not only be debilitating and have a direct negative impact on a person’s daily life, but it is also embarrassing, which is why people often suffer in silence and don’t seek medical care. TikTok has played a significant role in normalizing IBS and its common symptoms. It is, however, important to note that although Tiktok may have valuable information regarding IBS and its treatment, be aware of misinformation.
The American College of Gastroenterology recently published statistics regarding IBS:
- IBS is common and affects about 5% of the United States population or about 1 in 20 people.
- A majority of IBS patients would give 10 to 15 years of their life expectancy for an instant cure for their condition.
- IBS is not just found in women; it’s an “equal opportunity” disorder and impacts men too.
- The number 1 major symptom of IBS is abdominal pain.
The American College of Gastroenterology also created the “IBS Screener.” The link below will take you to the assessment that takes less than 1 minute to complete. It asks a few questions about gastrointestinal symptoms that you may have recently experienced. Your answers then help determine whether your symptoms could be IBS. When completed, you will receive a personalized report that you can share with your medical provider to help discuss your unique symptoms.
This information is intended for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Any symptoms or treatment options should be discussed with your physician.
https://gi.org/patients/ibs-screener/
If you find yourself suffering from symptoms of IBS or if you took the “IBS screener” and have indications of IBS, please contact Digestive Health Specialist for a consultation so we can begin helping you with this challenging disease.
*Information from the American College of Gastroenterology
https://webfiles.gi.org/images/patients/IBS-infographic.pdf
https://gi.org/media/press-info-scientific-meeting/featured-science/b0273-tiktok-and-irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs-a-cross-sectional-study-of-social-media-content-quality/
– Published April 10, 2023
