When life becomes pain.
Jenny was upset. ‘How on earth can I carry on when everything I want to do is so painful? Last week, I fancied cooking some pasta with a bolognaise sauce, … Continue reading
IBS: more than just a pain in the neck.
So why haven’t we thought of it before? Intrigued as to why joint hyper-mobility or Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) might be associated with migraine, IBS and a whole variety of … Continue reading
What’s next for IBS?
On Saturday afternoon at the King’s Hall, Ilkley, Professor Jim Al-Khalili, presenter of The Life Scientific on Radio 4, took us on a voyage into the future. ‘What scientific innovations … Continue reading
Constipation: Myths and Misconceptions
In 2005, a group of senior gastroenterologists, writing in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, questioned a number of commonly held beliefs concerning the causes and treatment of chronic constipation. I … Continue reading
Constipation: a consequence of embarrassment, suspicion, intrusion and bad habits.
Human beings are social animals. We talk, eat, work, relax and sleep in public. The only things we tend to do in private is defaecate and have sex. We are … Continue reading
IBS: Does the answer lie in the soil?
When caterpillars chomp on a tasty oak leaf, the oak senses the damage and produces bitter tannins that not only discourage the caterpillars but also attract parasitic wasps to lay … Continue reading
Any progress on constipation? Working it out with a pencil.
Of all aspects of bowel function, constipation must be the one that has shown least progress and most confusion. It goes with the territory. Although constipation can occur in … Continue reading
Auto-intoxication revisited: could our diet be promoting the bacteria that slow down the colon?
Constipation isn’t just about the difficulty in passing faeces; it can also make you feel unwell. People with constipation often complain of headache, bad breath, furred tongue, anorexia, flatulence, irritability … Continue reading
Beano revisited: could enzyme treatment ever replace the low FODMAP diet?
In 1783, Benjamin Franklin wrote ‘it is universally well known, that in digesting our common food, there is created or produced in the bowels of human creatures, a great quantity … Continue reading
Trust your gut feelings.
‘I can’t stomach not knowing, I can’t just take it in.’ ‘It gives me a lump in my throat.’ ‘It makes me so up tight.’ ‘If the firm really went … Continue reading
The Sensitive Gut 