Who Suffers from Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
People from all sections of the community,
and all walks of life can suffer from
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
Many suffer in silence, too embarrassed to seek assistance or support.
If you suffer, you need to know that you are not alone.
What do you look for?
If you answer yes to three or more of the following questions, you may have Irritable Bowel Syndrome and you should consult your doctor. Once properly diagnosed we can help you achieve control.
- Frequently experience abdominal pain which is relieved when you have been to the toilet.
- Frequently experience abdominal bloating and discomfort.
- Frequently experience constipation.
- Frequently experience periods of diarrhoea.
- Frequently notice altered stool form (lumpy, hard, loose or watery).
- Experience alternating constipation and diarrhoea.
- Experience the need to go to the toilet frequently to defecate or feeling of incomplete emptying of the bowel.
- Experience times where there is frequent passage of mucus.
- Experience altered stool passage (straining, urgency, feeling of incomplete evacuation.
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
IBS affects the nerves and muscles of the bowel, and is classified as a functional gastrointestinal disorder. Nerves can become over sensitive and muscles may not work in unison, causing abdominal pain and irregular bowel movements. IBS never leads to or causes more serious conditions like colitis or bowel cancer.
What is IBIS ?
IBIS , the Irritable Bowel Information and Support Association , is a group of people with one thing in common.
All members either suffer or are family members of a sufferer of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). People with IBS experience chronic or recurrent gastro-intestinal problems.
These problems cannot be traced to any biochemical or structural abnormalities in the bowel. The main trigger for symptoms of IBS is stress, whether this is dietary (food intolerance), emotional, environmental or any other form.
IBS is indiscriminate so members come from all walks of life and can afflict all ages. There is a large membership throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Why Live Your Life in Isolation?
It can be very easy for sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome to isolate themselves from the community and in some instances from members of their own family. Understanding your condition and knowing that others also suffer, can give those affected by IBS the courage and knowledge to greatly improve their lives. By accepting and understanding the condition, people with IBS can gain control and confidence which is invaluable in letting them get on with a normal / near normal life.
Who Can Join ?
Membership of IBIS is open to anyone, although we always recommend that your condition be diagnosed by a medical professional first, in order to rule out any other cause for your symptoms.
Warning!
If you have blood or a black tarry substance in your bowel motion you should contact your doctor as soon as possible.
Blood in the bowel motion is not a symptom of IBS .
Where are we?
We would like to be everywhere considering an estimated 20 percent of Australians over 20 years of age suffer from IBS to varying degrees. So let us help each other.
What can we do for you?
We communicate and support each other and our families in living with IBS, "that rotten thing". There is a wide range of strategies available for coping with IBS and we offer an abundance of information on these.
By becoming a member, you have access to :
Newsletter : "IBIS Update" which contains a wealth of articles on the care and control of IBS.
Also included are details of any research projects as these come to hand. People you can contact for a helpful discussion on your problem.
Book List : A regularly updated book list is published and often included in the newsletter. Up to date book lists can be sent to you on request. Book reviews are included as a regular feature in the newsletter.
Medications : Our newsletters from time to time carry articles explaining natural products, medications and other therapies which may help you understand and control your problem. Before any therapy is undertaken it is important to discuss this with your doctor, as he is normally the primary health care provider.
What can You do for Others?
Firstly you can seriously consider becoming a meeting coordinator in your own area. Every three months you need to organise the venue for a local meeting, most hospitals or Senior Citizens meeting rooms or halls are available for a Saturday meeting. The guest speaker for such a meeting needs to be selected and arranged. With the help of the Secretariat this is not really a difficult task.
As we are a self funding organisation, donations, bequests and sponsorships are always necessary and welcome.
Donations of $2.00 and over are tax deductible and bequests in your will can also be made by arrangement with your legal advisor.
Donations should be mailed to:
IBIS ,
PO Box 7092
SIPPY DOWNS
QLD 4556
Mission Statement
- To assist people suffering IBS and their families in dealing with it
- To cooperate with the medical profession, where deemed appropriate, to supply information necessary for research into the condition.
- To maintain a flow of information of activities of the association to professional medical staff.
- To obtain information and disseminate this to the community in relation to the condition.
Further Information
Click here for Why should I join? and click here for our Membership Application Form .
This form may also be obtained:
- From our address at:
PO Box 7092
SIPPY DOWNS
QLD 4556
AUSTRALIA - Telephone: (07) 3907 0527 and you can leave a message for a call back
(or 61 +7 3907 0527 if calling from overseas) - Fax: (07) 5453 4202 or 61 +7 5453 4202 (if sending from overseas)
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