Got an upset stomach? Can’t figure out why? Well you aren’t alone! Actually, only 50% of people with irritable bowel issues ever get an official diagnosis.
In my opinion there are a few reasons for this.
Reason 1: The symptoms of IBS can be different from person to person.
There are quite a few symptoms of irritable bowel issues, but the symptoms you experience can be very different compared to someone else. The more common symptoms of IBS are:
- Stomach pain
- Bloating
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
- Gas
- Tiredness
- Feeling sick (nausea)
- Backache
- Problems peeing
- Moodiness
Reason 2: The symptoms of IBS are pretty common to a lot of conditions.
I’m sure we can agree that the symptoms I’ve just listed are pretty vague. In fact, any of these could be caused by a number of other triggers.
That’s why it’s so difficult to pinpoint IBS as the root cause for your symptoms and why it can take so long for doctors to catch on.
Reason 3: Triggers of IBS are often unexpected.
Usually, when you have an upset stomach, you try to associate it with something you just ate. Symptoms of stress are often thought to be headaches, racing heart, trouble sleeping. But stress can present itself in other ways.
What people don’t realize is that stress is one of the biggest triggers of irritable bowel issues.
Stress can have all sorts of negative impacts on your body – from inflammation to suppressing your immune system – which can contribute to IBS.
On top of that, our bodies often know that we’re stressed before our brain knows we’re stressed. So when a doctor asks you if you’re stressed, you say “no”. And the root cause of your issues continues to go unidentified.
The Answer: Genetics is key to your IBS risk, but is often overlooked because of its complexity.
This is why we’ve just released our brand new IBS DNA Report on our new SelfDecode V2 platform.
This report analyzes over 263,000 genetic variants to identify whether you have a higher likelihood of irritable bowel issues, and gives personalized recommendations to reduce symptoms. It doesn’t just look at a few variants, like other DNA reports, it looks at all the relevant genes and variants so that you can get the complete picture.
Stress is a great example. The way you handle stress is influenced by your genes, and that’s why our report analyzes one very important stress-related gene: the COMT gene – also known as the “warrior / worrier” gene.
People with certain variants of this gene are more likely to get stressed out easier, which can trigger symptoms like an upset stomach. Fortunately, studies have shown that targeted stress management activities can reduce IBS symptoms in people who carry these particular COMT variants.
That’s why you have to check your COMT gene!
Another gene our report analyzes is the S1PR1 gene. Certain variants of this gene raise gut muscle activity, increasing your risk of IBS. Peppermint has been shown to lower gut muscle activity, so if you happen to carry these variants, adding peppermint oil to your daily routine could be extremely helpful.
Fortunately, you don’t have to be part of the 50% that is left in the dark when it comes to your stomach issues.
Check your genes today and start implementing your personal health plan designed to help prevent these symptoms.
P.S. We still haven’t updated our system to restrict report downloads yet, so everyone who signs up for SelfDecode today is going to get unlimited access to ALL the reports we release on the 2.0 version of SelfDecode. We’ll be releasing new reports once a week so be sure to lock in this deal while you can. Our developers will be updating the system soon!
