Digestive problems can take very different forms – and their causes and connections can be just as varied. That is why it is so important not to look at individual symptoms in isolation, but to place them in context together with your history, existing findings and possible influencing factors.
A bloated abdomen, pressure, discomfort after eating.
Bloating is not a normal part of digestion, but a sign that digestive processes are not running as they should. Behind it there can be an altered gut flora, increased fermentation, intolerances or other digestive disorders, for example. Recurring or severe bloating should therefore not simply be accepted as “normal”.
Frequent bowel movements, urgency or recurring bouts of diarrhoea.
Persistent or frequently recurring diarrhoea should be investigated. If food passes through the bowel too quickly, nutrients may not be absorbed sufficiently. What matters, therefore, is to find the cause and to treat it specifically.
Constipation can have many causes. Among other things, the microbiome changes with increasing age, which can affect bowel activity. Certain nutrient deficiencies, diet, fluid intake or slowed bowel movement can play a role as well.
Abdominal pain or cramps can arise from increased bowel movement, gas formation, a heightened sensitivity of the bowel or other digestive disorders. The pain can also radiate into other areas, into the back for example.
Intolerances can put a strain on the whole body and do not only make themselves felt in the gut. Possible accompanying signs are headaches, skin problems or fatigue, for example. A careful assessment helps to recognise possible triggers.
Sometimes diarrhoea, sometimes constipation, and in between phases in which digestion seems to work normally: fluctuating symptoms in particular can make it hard to recognise connections and triggers. A close look at the course of the symptoms, at possible influencing factors and at existing findings can help to identify a pattern.
You already have a diagnosis and are looking for an individual approach.
A diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome gives your symptoms a name – but often not yet their individual cause. If the diagnosis has already been made, it is therefore a matter of looking more closely at your individual situation and developing a targeted treatment from it.
The findings are unremarkable – the symptoms are not.
Unremarkable findings do not always mean that every possible cause has already been examined sufficiently. Sometimes a decisive piece is still missing, sometimes certain connections have not been considered so far. This is exactly where the real search for clues begins for me: which examinations are already available, what has actually been ruled out – and where is it worth looking more closely?
Not every symptom has the same cause. That is why my IBS consultation always begins with a careful assessment of your symptoms and with individual diagnostics.