HEALTH NOTES

PEOPLE who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) sometimes wish they were dead because of the debilitating effects of diarrhoea.

In a survey of more than 500 IBS patients, 11 per cent reported suicidal thoughts during flare ups.

Professor Hans Törnblom, gastroenterologist and lead author of the study, said: ‘IBS can be an extremely tough, emotional and difficult condition to live with and it is essential that investment is committed to providing psychological and emotional support for patients.’

IBS is characterised by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits, including diarrhoea, and is estimated to affect 17 per cent of Britons.