Supporting patients with IBS: how dietary advice and holistic care can improve quality of life

What you need to know to help reduce the impact of this chronic, often debilitating condition

Up to one in five of the UK population are thought to be affected at some point in their lives by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a chronic and often debilitating condition.

Stomach pain and cramps, abdominal distension (bloating), diarrhoea and constipation are common symptoms of this relapsing, potentially life-long disorder.

Prevalence among different groups

IBS incidence peaks among people in their 20s and 30s, and is twice as common in women, according to the British Society of Gastroenterology .

But people can be affected at any age, and National Institute for