Diagnosing and Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS)with Dr Michael Levitt

One in five Australians experience uncomfortable symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Irritable bowel syndrome is commonly referred too as IBS. IBS affects our large bowel which is actually the part of the digestive tract that stores our faeces. Because it is such a common condition I thought it was important to start talking about it and interview a consultant that specialises in diagnosing and treating IBS. Dr Levitt is a General and Colorectal Surgeon at St John of God Hospital (SJOGH) in Subiaco, Dr Levitt has a particular interest in the management of 'functional' bowel disorders including; constipation, incontinence and irritable bowel syndrome. Dr Levitt is extremely well published and his more recent book is appropriately titled the 'Happy Bowel'. So how do you turn an irritable bowel to a happy one? What exactly is irritable bowel syndrome? Why do some people get IBS and others don't? How is IBS diagnosed? Treatment options for IBS? What is the difference or is there a difference between IBS and IBD? Does Colon Cleansing work? Should we be eating more fibre, drinking more water is that the answer to an unhappy bowel? Should we be eating more foods that take care of our microbiome? Dr Levitt answered these questions and more providing some practical tips throughout the discussion giving us all a better understanding on IBS. An important take away from the interview was that IBS is a functional disorder of the colon and the good news is that this condition does not cause long term affects to our health. However, IBS can be very painful and for sufferers it can really impact someones quality of life. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is treatable and manageable with good medical advice and support. You don't have to suffer and be in pain every day. It is just about having the courage to seek help and talk openly about our bowels and bowel movements and if you are troubled with the symptoms of IBS it is always a good idea to talk to a medical pracitioner you feel comforable to chat too who knows alot about this particular area of medicine. As a society we often don't feel comfortable to talk about our bowels but, with IBS being so commonly experienced maybe its time to talk more openly about our bowel movements and even think about them differently. Dr Levitt made it clear that we all assume our bowels should work miraculously like clock work everyday but, that is just not the case. We are all individuals and all of our bowels function differently and they can be dysfunctional in how they work. If you are interested in learning more about IBS then take a listen to this interview. MeditalkPodcast is available to listen too on iTunes, Apple Podcasts App, SoundCloud, Spotify and your favourite podcasts apps. A big thank you to Dr Levitt for sharing his knoweldge on IBS with MeditalkPodcast listeners. To learn more about Dr Levitt who is a Colorectal Surgeon in Perth, Western Australia visit: https://www.sjog.org.au/find-a-doctor/search-results/l/e/v/i/levitt-michaeldavid-subiaco SJOGH Subiaco: https://www.sjog.org.au/our-locations/st-john-of-god-subiaco-hospital Thank you for supporting and taking the time to listen to MeditalkPodcast. www.meditalk.com.au If you have any medical conditions you would like to learn more about please email danae@meditalk.com.au Stay Well! :-)