Digestion and women…..this is the stinkin’ truth.

Ladies and gents. Wait, just ladies. Yes, I’m talking to only you. Aren’t I always, though?! This time for sure.

This post titled “digestion and women” was originally published in 2012.

I cared about women and digestion then, but not nearly as much as I do today.

Digestion and Women

Click HERE to save this post for later.

Digestion and Women agutsygirl.com #ibs #ibd #guthealth stats and research

In that post, these were some stats I shared:

  • 60 to 70 million people affected by all digestive diseases
  • In 2004 there were 236,164 deaths related to digestive diseases
  • In 2004, it cost us $141.8 billion to care for those with digestive diseases

My source is now linking to a void page, so I’m not able to share it anymore.

That was then, and this is now.

Updated Information on Digestion and Women

Since the original post published on April 17, 2012, so much has happened in my personal life from a gut health and healing standpoint.

I was diagnosed with more than just Colitis; SIBO, and a low-functioning thyroid. From then until about a year and a half ago, I was miserable. Periods of “remission,” but they never lasted too long.

But it wasn’t just my personal gut health and healing that happened.

So many things also happened for you, too. Our community has grown to what it is today because digestive issues run far and wide for women.

While women are still living longer than men, the National Institute for Health states that,

Women are up to two times more likely than men to develop IBS. People younger than age 50 are more likely to develop IBS than people older than age 50.

As of 2015-2016, 3.1 million people had been diagnosed with either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Women were diagnosed far more than men.

Digestion and Women agutsygirl.com stats research ibs ibd #ibs #ibd #guthealth

Source

Symptoms Look Different

As women, our prevalence of IBS and IBD is not just higher than men, the symptoms also look different.

We have more:

  • bloating
  • flatulence
  • diarrhea
  • cramps
  • pain
  • constipation
  • variable stool frequency
  • variable stool consistency
  • alternating stool pattern

The only symptom that men have far more often than women is, “no bowel symptoms.” How is that even real?!

Source 

Digestion and Women agutsygirl.com stats research ibs ibd #ibs #ibd #guthealth men vs women symptoms

Digestion and Women agutsygirl.com stats research ibs ibd #ibs #ibd #guthealth men vs women symptoms graph

Do Not be Afraid, Darling!

The research is all there.

But there is even more…. I have reviewed reports that state only 20-40% of people with IBS symptoms do anything about it; see a doctor, tell a loved one, etc.

There is an awful stigma still out there about the poo conversation.

Why would women talk about it? We’re supposed to be “ladies.” What applies to a man’s digestive system surely can’t apply to us.

And that stinks. Pun intended. (Maybe, literally. How about those farts?!)

Women in particular feel this pressure to stuff it away. 

It’s just too embarrassing.

I’m not assuming this; I know it for a fact.

I had a mother recently come up to me and say she knows something is not right, but she’s embarrassed by it. She’s afraid of talking to her doctor, and so up until this point she has not said a thing.

Do not be afraid. And do not let your own insecurities around the poo conversation keep you from getting the help you need. 

Trust me, your doctor has seen it all. 

Take Action Today

My story is important. But it’s only important because it’s relevant – to you – if you are also a woman with a bum tum.

I have healed primarily with food and lifestyle instead of drugs and medications. But, I have and do take medications to this day.

Taking action today could literally save your life.

Because I’m not a doctor, I cannot do the tests you’ll likely need in order to understand what might be wrong.

What I can do, though, is continue to provide this platform, A Gutsy Girl, where I share the information to inspire you towards healing your gut and healing your life.

Digestion and Women Healing Blooms from Within 90-day gut healing journal with A Gutsy Girl agutsygirl.com #journal #guthealth #chronicillness

Oh, and I can also provide you with a 90-day gut healing journal like no other on the market to empower you for faster healing.

 


If this is your first time reading and you have no clue where to start, consider:


Xox,
SKH

Keep Calm and Poop www.agutsygirl.com #Digestion & Women The Stinkin' Truth

 

Source: piccsy.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Digestion and Women www.sarahkayhoffman.com #digestivehealth #digestion #healthylifestyle #healthcoach

Similar Posts

9 Comments

  1. I believe a lot of our digestive issues coming to recent light are due to the way seeds are modified now – crossbred for the wrong reason, ingrained already with pesticides (which is toxic to bees). I even now heard they are increasing farming of seedless crops. Which in turn mess up the balance of bees ability to pollinate. bees are so important. and seedless crops require ‘cloning’ and some use of a chemical called ‘colchicine’ (chemicals… effing stuff doesn’t need to be in our food). so pisses me off. sorry to rant. we need more farm to tables with organic methods. Green methods may not produce a gigantuous crop but for small communities, it will feed.

  2. Pingback: The New Normal
      1. Thank you so much for your awesome posts and your emails! Your amazing! Can’t wait to learn more from you once you graduate!

Comments are closed.