Bowel problems cramping perfectionists?

A good day for taking it easy after research shows that a disease affecting about 5% of the UK population is more common in 'perfectionists'.

The usual symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are stomach cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhoea. It commonly occurs after a bacterial infection in the gut.

In the study at the University of Southampton, researchers asked people with gut and gastric problems about stress and their illness. Those who 'pushed themselves' or were 'particularly anxious about symptoms' were more likely to develop IBS. This may explain why only about one in ten people experience IBS after a gut infection.

In the study, 620 people were checked three and six months after their initial bout of bacterial gastroenteritis to see if they had developed IBS symptoms. Women were more than twice as likely to have IBS as the men which raises the question: are women more likely to be perfectionists than men?

Those with IBS were significantly more likely to have high levels of stress and anxiety and more likely to be 'driven', carrying on regardless until they were forced to rest, which the researchers say simply makes the initial condition worse and longer-lasting, potentially leading to IBS.

Dr Rona Moss-Morris, who led the research, told the BBC: 'We found people's beliefs about their symptoms, how anxious they got and their behaviour were all important. These people were not hypochondriacs. But they did have a negative attitude towards their symptoms.'

Dr Moss-Morris suggested that people having problems recovering from gastroenteritis could be investigated to see if they have an 'anxious or perfectionist personality'. She suggested cognitive behavioural therapy might be an effective treatment.

Professor Robin Spiller, an IBS expert from University Hospitals Nottingham and the editor of Gut, the magazine which published the research suggested two possible explanations: 'It might be that stress and anxiety affects the immune system. But it could also be that if you don't rest, it might do you more harm.'

What do you think? have you experienced IBS? Are you a 'perfectionist'?