This month is IBS awareness month. April is the month to encourage people who have IBS symptoms to seek medical help.

Given that up to 23% of people in the world suffer from IBS a lot of us will either be sufferers ourselves or know someone that suffers. Statistics show that IBS affects twice as many women than men. The cause of IBS is not clear. However, many people attribute worsened symptoms of IBS to stress. IBS is understood to be a sensitivity of the whole gut intensified by emotional tension.

There is a lot of stigma surrounding IBS as a condition. Often suffers feel embarrassed to talk about how it is affecting them. This awareness month gives us an opportunity to talk about it.

Symptoms include chronic abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, stomach cramps or a combination of these. Different symptoms affect different people differently. Some people experience discomfort on a daily basis. Others experience more sporadic symptoms. For most people symptoms are unpredictable making IBS difficult to manage.

Those of us that have some experience dealing with or supporting someone else dealing with IBS know that IBS can lead to disruptions in all areas of life.

Physically, IBS can be a daily occurrence. But even if it is not, IBS can have an emotional impact on your life. Most people who are coping with IBS suffer a bout of depression at least once. It can also disrupt education and career goals as well disrupting relationships.

If you think you may suffer from IBS or know someone who might be, there are several things you should bear in mind to ensure you are able to deal with the condition in the best way possible.

It is important to get a proper diagnosis from your GP, not only to ensure you get the right advice about managing the condition. But, a proper diagnosis also eliminates other possibilities that could be causing your symptoms.

Self-management is the best way of dealing with IBS. Everyone is affected differently and learning to cope with it may involve making some changes to your lifestyle and diet.

Listen to your gut. If your symptoms flare up and begin to disrupt your life – take a step back and see if your life needs to slow down a little. Ask yourself if you are stressed or angry. Understanding your feelings and learning to control them can help; IBS suffers often find their gut behaves in direct correlation to emotional stability.

During a flare up, certain foods can irritate more than others. Most commonly alcohol, fatty foods, fibrous foods, coffee and spices are the culprits. Probiotics can help to calm and regulate your gut.

And finally, do not be ashamed to talk about the problems you are experiencing with others, especially your doctor. Whilst you may not what to discuss your bowel movements with everyone, having some close friends and family to turn to when you are feeling down is an important emotional support sufferers hugely benefit from.

IBS is a manageable condition and is nothing to be ashamed of. Take this opportunity to raise awareness of IBS, talk to anyone you know suffering and give them the support they need and finally, if you suffer yourself, be good to yourself, listen to your gut and be open about what your condition and how it affects you with your close friends and family.