PRLog (Press Release) –
May 05, 2008 – New guidelines have been announced by NICE to help avoid the previous time-consuming scenario which focussed on ruling out other possible diseases before diagnosing IBS. The guidelines offer advice to GPs that IBS should be considered in patients with abdominal pain/discomfort stating that patients should have two out of four symptoms including: altered stool passage; abdominal bloating; symptoms made worse by eating; or passage of mucus.
It also suggests that GPs should exclude causes other than IBS by checking full blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein level and antibody testing for coeliac disease.
Amanda Lyne, founder of
http://www.ibshealthcare.co.uk comments: "The guidelines published by NICE are a fantastic step towards helping the 6 million people in the UK who suffer from IBS. Not only do these guidelines make the diagnosis simpler but they will also help to reduce the mass of conflicting information out there and give the sufferers real support."
GPs are also advised to give IBS patients advice on how lifestyle, physical activity, diet and symptom-targeted medication can help and improve their condition. Patients should also be discouraged from eating insoluble fibre such as bran, and - if an increase in dietary fibre is needed - be told to eat more soluble fibre e.g. oats.
For those with more serious symptoms (noted as red flag indicators) such as unexpected weight loss, rectal bleeding or a family history of bowel of ovarian cancer it is recommended that they should be referred to secondary care for investigation.
IBS Healthcare are a team of scientists who have looked into the research behind Irritable Bowel Syndrome and established a database of information and help. They have pulled together everything from basic information on symptoms to detailed clinical evidence based research on the latest products to hit the market. As scientists they are also uniquely positioned to help sufferers source the specific IBS treatment products that they require.
