IBS In America: Start The Conversation

When it comes to our health and the health and well being of our loved ones, it is best to be well informed as well as seek out the professional advice and services of our family doctor. And when it comes to the discussion of IBS and ways to treat it, I have found through both the information of our family doctor as well as through the information I was given in this sponsored post, can help with starting the conversation.

See when it comes to IBS and finding ways to discuss the symptoms and issues at hand, many find that it can be a difficult subject to take on. I know this because in my home, my husband is one who suffers from the symptoms of IBS, and like many others out there, he is one who even after a few years of having symptoms, was not diagnosed until he finally went to see our family doctor. I found that when it comes to discussing IBS and getting the proper treatment, many go through channels like friends and family and seek advice from others before finally going to their doctor.

In fact, as found in the recent IBS in America Survey that was conducted on over 3,200 people who suffer from IBS and 300 physcians, when it comes to the percentage of those in America who suffer from the symptoms of IBS, 67% experience the symptoms for a year or more before seeing a doctor. And like many, my husband is one who waited a few years after first experiencing the symptoms to finally go and see his doctor.

For my husband, he thought that the abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea was something that he just had to deal with on a day to day basis. When he did try to treat it, he did so by self treating with over the counter products that only seemed to put a band aid on the issue and not actually treat the problem. This thinking of his way of treating the situation was something that went on for a few years, and was also something that he did not think was needed to be brought to the attention of his doctor until I had noticed the frequency in his symptoms. Even then, my husband hesitated and felt awkward about discussing the issue with our doctor until I urged him to do so, so that he could be diagnosed and treated properly.

We found that after learning about the survey results that my husband was not alone, and that like others, he too found it hard to talk about and discuss the issues that IBS can cause. But with mine and our doctors support, he has been able to get the care he needs so that he can take care of his GI health. Making the discussion about IBS with your doctor, a very important step to take so that you too can move forward and get the professional diagnosis and help that is needed for proper treatment.

While all experiences and opinions are my own, this post is sponsored by the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), which commissioned the “IBS in America” survey, the most comprehensive IBS survey of both patients and physicians ever conducted, polling more than 3,200 sufferers and 300 physicians to better understand this condition, with the financial support of Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Allergan plc. For full survey results, visit http://bit.ly/1LwtDgp.