New Delhi, May 22 (Mayank Nigam) India has an estimated 1.5 million patients affected by the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), putting the country second only to the USA with 1.6 million patients. These numbers are rising at a high single-digit rate, as Indians have a greater than average risk of getting the IBD revealed noted by Epidemiologist Dr Naresh Purohit. Speaking to UNl here after addressing a webinar on IBD Menace organised by the Kolkata (Sonpur) based Institute of Liver and Digestive Sciences, on the occasion of World Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Day- Principal Investigator for National Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme – Dr Purohit said that though not life-threatening, the uncomfortable feeling and embarrassing situations accompanying IBS have a huge impact on the social and work life of individuals. “Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome is quite common in India over 10 per cent of the country’s population is impacted by IBS,” he said .
The renowned Infectious Disease Expert pointed out that considering the number of frequent travellers, workaholics, those who eat fast food and those who ‘eat what they get, when they get it’ is on the rise, it is no surprise that Inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS) has become more prevalent. “However, irregular eating patterns need not be the sole cause for IBS. It can be triggered by a bout of gastric infection and stress too,” he added. “IBS is tough to diagnose. For one thing, the pain and other symptoms may subside or go away after a bowel movement, and recur from time to time. But the long-term impact is serious,” he averred. “IBS is generally concluded by exclusion, after ruling out other health issues that cause similar symptoms such as lactose intolerance, thyroid problems, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, parasitic infections, diverticulitis (the out-pouching of the colon) and colon cancer,” said the medic. “If there is an uncomfortable change in your bowel movements (either diarrhoea or constipation or both) and/or you notice other associated symptoms of gastric discomfort that remain for three to four days or more, it is time to check for IBS,” suggested Dr Purohit.
“Irritated bowels have no single cause, and no single cure either; treatments have to be tailor-made for the individual as per his specific symptoms,” he said. “Avoiding highly processed food like maida, sugar and salt will make for a healthy diet. Patients with IBD need to modify their dietary habit,” he averred. “Processed food is a major factor in affecting the microbiome. Fast food and ultra-processed food should be avoided to maintain a healthy gut. Food containing emulsifiers and preservatives create long-chain patterns in the body and are harmful to the body, “ he observed. He stressed there is a established link between IBS and anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation in patients who have been admitted to the hospital for their IBS. This link is what’s called the brain-gut axis. Experts said, “A lot of people with anxiety, they tend to have a higher heart rate. They can tend to be anxious. They tend to sweat a lot sometimes. These are all symptoms of autonomic nervous system. And so IBS is also a manifestation of that autonomic nervous system through the gut-brain axis.”
They explained that patients experiencing these symptoms may first need to learn how to recognize their feelings of stress. They said meditation, relaxation, eating healthy and sleeping well are all factors that can contribute to having a healthy life. In terms of improving gut health specifically, Experts suggests giving up or cutting back on processed or greasy foods, red meat, alcohol and smoking, in favor of fruits, vegetables and foods like yoghurt.