By Kim Atienza
WHO hasn’t suffered from diarrhea or constipation? Beware, the holiday season marked by over-eating is here.
Oh, the misery of having eaten something that delighted your tongue, but distressed your gut.
It’s not just the pain, but the inability to do what you want, not even what you need. You experience this for about a week.
But what if I told you there are millions who suffer from this, daily – for a lifetime. Yes, such sickness exists; it’s called Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
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IBS is the leading intestinal disorder, affecting 10-15% of the world’s population. Despite these figures, only few people know it exists.
Some of the reasons could be:
IBS is an invisible disorder (Patients look fine on the outside).
IBS sufferers are reluctant to share about their disorder due to fear of embarrassment, as bathroom issues are “inappropriate” to discuss.
IBS symptoms vary among sufferers, but the most common are diarrhea, constipation, bloating, stomach pain, gas, and nausea. Its triggers also vary; but the most common are certain foods or drinks (e.g. caffeine, dairy) and stress.
IBS, itself, is agonizing enough, yet it often leads to other sicknesses like hemorrhoids and ulcer. More importantly, it leads to anxiety.
There are many invisible illnesses that the person you’re with may be suffering from. Let’s be reminded to be considerate for we don’t see all the battles people are fighting each day. Just because a person looks fine, does not mean he is fine.
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TRIVIA PA MORE (Various Sources): Philippine Tarsier is the world’s smallest monkey. It can be found in Bohol and North Cotabato.
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Peron Tree Frog has the ability to change color in less than one hour. It varies in shades of grey and brown, where its lightest is almost white.
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Send your questions on anything and everything to Kuya Kim through my Twitter account @kuyakim_atienza using #AlaminKayKuyaKim.
Ating tuklasin ang mga bagay-bagay na di niyo pa alam. Walang ’di susuungin, lahat aalamin. Ito po si Kuya Kim, Matanglawin, only here in TEMPO.