A Survey Into The Current Situation Of Britain's Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Main Category: Irritable-Bowel Syndrome
Article Date: 30 Nov 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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A survey into the current situation of Britain's Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) sufferers has thrown up an unexpected and worrying finding about a condition that affects one in five people. While the survey of both GPs and patients, supported by Cheshire-based Peckforton Pharmaceuticals suggests no significant impact from the recession, it seems to indicate that many IBS victims suffer the condition for their entire lives. The average age range of IBS patients seen by the GPs is between 26-35 years, but the average age of the patients surveyed, all of whom were members of The Gut Trust, the National Charity for IBS, was 60 years. Of those patients who took part in the survey 35 per cent reported experiencing IBS symptoms/flare ups nearly every day while 21 per cent experience symptoms three to four times a week.

Dr Michael Taylor, national spokesman for the Family Doctor Association said: "The significant finding from this survey seems to be that symptoms just don't go away. Most people who come to GPs presenting with IBS symptoms tend to be younger than those patients polled in this survey. The cut off for new cases of IBS seems to be the age of 40. We see far fewer people presenting IBS symptoms after this age but the survey suggests that older people continue to suffer, as the members of The Gut Trust were much older than what had been considered the usual age range for IBS. Their contribution offered a valuable insight into how common IBS is, in the middle aged and elderly'.

Michael Mahoney, one of Britain's leading clinical hypnotherapists to specialise in the IBS condition said he hoped the findings of the survey would spur doctors and specialist therapists to look at new ways of alleviating the suffering currently being endured by older IBS patients ."We have known, for some time that there is no simple cure for IBS but this new information of the level of suffering among older patients is still shocking, we must continue to do what we can to help alleviate the often debilitating symptoms suffered by patients whether it be through medications, hypnotherapy or both." said Mr. Mahoney speaking from his Warrington consulting rooms.

Jan Taylor, a spokesperson for Peckforton Pharmaceuticals and who was involved in commissioning the survey said: "We were in a fortunate position because of our relationship with Mike Mahoney, The Family Doctor Association and The Gut Trust, so it enabled us all to work together to examine the current picture of IBS amongst the sufferers and the Healthcare professionals who help them to manage their condition. Much of the survey confirmed our suspicions, but it was very revealing to learn that IBS is still a problem for older people and they do not seem to consult their GPs after a certain age" said Jan speaking from her Crewe, Cheshire office.

"Most of the respondents did not feel that their current treatment was able to provide all the answers, and IBS was a condition that requires management and varied solutions from alternative therapy and professional intervention, to over the counter medication"

Source
Peckforton

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