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If you suffer from IBS, this book will answer the questions that you were too embarrassed to ask

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is often dismissed as a trivial complaint blown out of all proportion by neurotic hypochondriacs. The reality is very different. It is an extremely common and distressing problem affecting up to 20% of the population at any one time. The symptoms include bloating, wind, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and constipation. The condition can vary in severity.

Based on his long experience as a consultant gastroenterologist, Dr Udi Shmueli gives comprehensive answers to over 430 personal questions from people with IBS and provides detailed guidance on all aspects of the condition - its causes, symptoms and treatment.

IBS: Answers at your Fingertips gives you

the latest research on food allergy and intolerance

self-help techniques that really work

advice on complementary therapies, including herbal medicine, acupuncture and hypnotherapy

guidance on identifying other illnesses and disorders that could cause abdominal pain

Questions answered include:

• Is IBS more common in women?
• Do probiotics help?
• Is bloating real?
• Is there any right number of times to open my bowels each day?
• Which foods are most likely to make gas problems and bloating worse?
• What is worse for long-term health - constipation or diarrhoea?
• Which foods are most commonly involved in food allergy?
• I've got IBS and I'm worried that my son will get it too. Is there a genetic influence?
• Does HRT affect IBS
• Is IBS associated with indigestion?
• Will having IBS mean I'll get cancer later?

  Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Answers at your Fingertips by Dr Udi Shmueli, 347pp, £17.99