Fire In The Belly

Up to one fifth of Canadians may suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. Are you among them?

- Anne Mullens

DIGESTIVE ISSUES, BLOATING, stomach pain, constipation and diarrhea—Sandra David’s childhood and adolescence were dominated by gastrointestinal distress. Finally, at the age of 23, she saw a doctor. But it would take three more years and a succession of different specialists before the administrative assistant from Montreal, now 43, found out what was ailing her.

David’s affliction? Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The 2013–2014 Canadian Community Health Survey, released by Statistics Canada, revealed that mucous colitis—the other name for IBS—affects 2.7 per cent of Canadians over the age of 12. But according to the GI Society (the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research), the actual number of sufferers is closer to 13 to 20 per cent. The reason for the disparity could be that just one quarter to one half of people who suffer from IBS symptoms seek medical attention and, on average, wait a decade before doing so.

PAIN, CONSTIPATION AND diarrhea are the most common recurring symptoms of IBS, a chronic disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, the exact cause of which is unknown. It can also lead to heartburn, nausea, sweating, chills, bloating, flatulence and other changes in bowel function.

“It’s quite easy to diagnose,” says Dr. Mickael Bouin, a gastroenterologist at Hôpital Saint-Luc du CHUM and an associate clinical professor at the Université de Montréal. “While the symptoms are common to other illnesses, their emergence and recurrence are rather specific to IBS. In the vast majority of cases, a family physician will make the diagnosis after examining the patients and asking them to complete a questionnaire.”