SUNYAB Title
Treatment
 
 
Because the exact cause of IBS is not well understood, it has often been mislabeled and wrongly dismissed as something other than a real medical condition. This confusion has lead some patients to feel so frustrated, embarrassed, or uncomfortable that they do not reach out for help. Others give up after their symptoms do not respond to dietary changes or medications that are often less than effective or produce side effects.

The sad truth is that most people with IBS - up to 70 percent - suffer in silence and do not seek help or even discuss their symptoms with others. Striking unpredictably, IBS symptoms tax one's sense of self-control and peace of mind. IBS can seriously affect virtually every aspect of life, from work and travel to recreational activities and relationships with family and friends. In fact, IBS affects the quality of life as much as or more than congestive heart failure and is second to the common cold as a cause of work absenteeism! These problems often leave suffers spectators in their own lives, feeling helpless, embarrassed, tense, and frustrated.

Many people with IBS suffer unnecessarily because they are unaware that help is available. If you have IBS, you should get whatever help you deserve, just as you would for any other medical problem.