You may not have heard, but irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is on the rise. Over 10% of the population are currently battling with IBS and this percentage could get much higher in the long-term as more and more people are being diagnosed with stress – one main trigger of IBS. Not to mention that the nation’s dietary choices are generally still quite poor. Other factors that can lead to IBS can include a combination of a number of issues such as: inflammation of your bowel - for example following an infection such as gastroenteritis, your genetic make-up – family members may have also had IBS, becoming more sensitive to pain from your gut and psychological problems such as stress or depression. Although IBS unfortunately does not have an absolute cure, there are a number of over-the-counter treatment options that can ease symptoms for some sufferers and these include: Mebeverine, Buscopan IBS Relief and Colpermin. Not sure if you might have IBS? You should always see your GP for a formal diagnosis and discuss how to go forward with the condition, but there are a common group of symptoms that people usually experience. Not everybody suffers all the same symptoms, some are varying in their severity, whilst different food, drink, or other factors can trigger symptoms off. A prominent sign you have IBS is a recurring and discomforting pain in your abdomen – often in the lower area on the left side. Mild to severe stomach cramps is another common symptom which may subside with bowel movements. Sufferers may find their pain and symptoms flare-up after eating. For instance, some wheat or dairy are particularly bad culprits in this respect. Alternatively, some find their symptoms may be more severe in the evenings and women’s pain is often associated with their menstrual cycle. Moreover, a bloated, swollen abdomen is a frequent sign of IBS in women. Be aware for changes in bowel habits - faeces may vary in its consistency, switching between frustrating bouts of constipation and diarrhoea, or you could find you are only able to pass small amounts of mucus. Other times, some people find they have a sudden need to empty their bowels or this process may even feel strained and following this, you might feel you have not fully emptied them. Other IBS symptoms that may also occur are: loss of appetite, nausea, tiredness, backache, headache, belching, quickly feeling full after you have eaten food, heartburn, and bladder problems due to an associated irritable bladder. This week American cardiothoracic surgeon and TV personality Dr Mehmet Oz offered some IBS advice for the millions and millions of people around the world who have the troublesome gut disorder. He says: “If you get frequent cramping, bloating, constipation and even diarrhoea when you are stressed out, then it may be a sign of IBS — irritable bowel syndrome. One in five of us has it, and you are four times more likely to get it if you are a woman. Today, discover the surprising things that may be causing your IBS and what you can do to wipe it out of your system for good.” According to critically acclaimed Dr Oz, IBS may flare-up from just two things that a lot of us probably consume on a daily basis. On his show, ‘The Dr Oz Show’, he explained to viewers that stress may not always be responsible IBS; but it could get a helping hand and worsened by some of the things in your diet. In particularly, two culprit triggers that can cause an irritable bowel are artificial sweeteners and chocolate. Dr. Oz says that when we consume a lot of fizzy drinks and candy to try and manage stress or to boost energy levels, it can create an imbalance in our body which triggers a development of IBS. Understandably, Dr Oz’s advice is to reduce the amount of drinks you consume with these artificial sweeteners and cut down on the amount of chocolate you eat. If that wasn’t good enough reason to cut down on fizzy drinks, it has been shown that just drinking as little as one fizzy drink each day can raise your risk of developing diabetes by 22%.