It can cause gut-wrenching pain, “characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, and a change in bowel habits with maybe diarrhea or constipation,” said Lee Health Gastroenterologist Dr. Augustine Salami.
Dr. Salami said IBS is a long-term disease of the gut. It’s very common, it most often affects young people, and young females are particularly at risk. “Second only to the common cold in absence from work,” said Dr. Salami.
While the cause is unclear, anxiety and stress can play a big role. “It has definitely increased in the last 2 1/2 years in the pandemic. It’s very stressful and a lot of people missed work for it,” said Dr. Salami.
Most people won’t require treatment, but when it starts to affect your quality of life, you should speak with your doctor. Dr. Salami said he focuses on the symptoms in order to treat it. “The number one thing we tell our patients is to exercise more and then try to avoid the things that will give you stress, and the number two is a change of diet.”
A doctor can prescribe muscle relaxers, but they can also do a simple test to ensure it isn’t something more serious like Celiac or Crohn’s Disease.
View More Health Matters video segments at LeeHealth.org/Healthmatters/
Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health - Caring People. Inspiring Care.
Visit LeeHealth.org
