2011 General Physician

Dr Sadqa Gul

Q: My doctor recently diagnosed me with irritable bowel syndrome. Do I have a risk of developing colon cancer? Mujtaba
A: The short answer is no. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional disease signified by chronic diarrhoea, chronic constipation or both, and abdominal pain. It does not bring a risk of colon cancer. If you're concerned, however, a gastroenterologist may advise colonoscopy. This helps rule out colon cancer and conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, which cause inflammation of the colon and slightly raise the risk of developing colon cancer. People with IBS and chronic diarrhoea should ask their doctors about microscopic colitis, an inflammation of the lining of the colon caused by the buildup of either collagen or white blood cells. The chief symptom of microscopic colitis is chronic diarrhea, because inflammation associated with microscopic colitis is not recognisable during routine colonoscopy, it's not uncommon for it to be misdiagnosed as IBS with chronic diarrhoea. The only way to diagnose microscopic colitis, which is treated differently than IBS, is to view samples of colon tissue under a microscope.
Q: Is it true that eating certain foods can trigger migraines? I find that I often get severe migraines (with nausea and vomiting) when I eat foods that leave me gassy, like channa dal, potato, etc. Since I like these foods a lot, is there a way to have them without incurring these ill effects, specifically migraines? Dilawar
A: Yes, certain foods do trigger migraine headaches in some patients. If you're keen to keep eating the food that triggers this, then you can try regular migraine preventive medication on a long-term basis and use emergency drugs to terminate an attack quickly. But do remember in a clear cause-and-effect situation, you may not be able to prevent a migraine attack completely.