Pain, discomfort and embarrassment are just a selection of the words that spring to mind when I'm asked to describe the effects of IBS - irritable bowl syndrome - and how this common condition makes me feel on a regular basis.
Affecting an estimated 1 in 5 people, IBS has the ability to have a detrimental impact on sufferers physical - lower abdominal pain, bloating and a feeling of urgency to open the bowels - and psychological health- embarrassment, shame and crippled confidence - as many are forced to avoid dining out and social situations in fear of a public flare up.
Although I have established my personal triggers - stress, lactose and skipped meals - IBS has proved to be a complex condition to control, as the re-introduction of new foods throughout my eating disorder recovery have not only aggravated my symptoms to the point of causing severe bloating and extreme abdominal pain, but forced me to experience crippling discomfort as a result of my size 8-10 frame rapidly expanding in such a short period of time.
Despite continuing to battle the physical and psychological effects associated with irritable bowel syndrome on a daily basis, I am confident that this unsightly condition can be controlled and improved via basic diet and lifestyle changes - changes that I will be sharing with you over the forthcoming months in the hope of raising awareness of IBS - and the elimination of potential triggers.
In order for you to gain a better understanding of how extreme irritable bowel syndrome can be, the images below show my abdomen before and after IBS symptoms are triggered. On the left is my stomach at its normal size and IBS free. On the right is my stomach suffering from IBS related bloating after a period of severe stress and consuming a lactose based food product. As the images indicate, irritable bowel syndrome can have a damaging impact on sufferers life, confidence and body image in a matter of minutes.
No comments:
Post a Comment