Recent studies indicate the number of Yemenis suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome has reached 17 percent. Last year, though, the rate soared to 32.5 percent. The study, conducted by the Military Hospital, demonstrated that an unprecedented number of IBS sufferers were diagnosed in 2011.

Ahmed Al-Safani, a specialist in abdominal diseases at the Military Hospital, said last year’s political turmoil, widespread instability, increased costs and nervousness were all factors.

What is IBS?  

IBS symptoms include chronic bowel disorders, especially in the large intestine, resulting in swelling and pain in the abdomen and causing stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhea and constipation. According to Dr. Abdulkawi Al-Juamei, an abdominal disease specialist, the illness is caused by intestinal restrictions and disorders.

“This disease is chronic and common, and it continues in the body for a very long time,” Al-Juamei said. “The symptoms of the disease worsen once the patient is psychologically unstable.”

He said patients’ tests and radiographic images appear normal; nothing abnormal appears except gases in the colon.

Al-Juamei said children are increasingly suffering from colonic dysfunctions; this suggests that changes in the political situation and the livelihood of Yemenis can affect mental stability.

Chronic abdominal pain, particularly following meals, as well as abnormal secretion and constipation, cause a fluctuation between diarrhoea and constipation, according to Dr. Abdulkafi Shuja’a Al-Deen, a heart specialist at Kuwait Hospital.

Shuja’a Al-Deen said symptoms of IBS can be present in many parts of the body, such as fatigue and lack of appetite. It is also common to experience pain at the bottom of the abdomen while urinating.

IBS remedies

Al-Safani said that there is no cure for IBS. He advised IBS sufferers to avoid restlessness, stress, nervousness and excessively fizzy drinks.

“They should avoid beans, leeks, watercress and lentils,” he said. “It is far better for the patient to drink only natural beverages and eat healthy food as well as exercise frequently and quit smoking.”