nvolved relate to subjects traditionally considered taboo by the public and the press . . . The Grammers are working with the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) to raise awareness and educate the public about this condition and its effects. Camille Grammer found out she has IBS nearly four years ago, but says, As long as I can remember, Ive always had stomach and bowel problems and have never really known what to do about it. I have been amazed to learn how so many women have been suffering in the same way. I hope that my efforts to speak openly about my condition will encourage others to do the same and get the help that they need.The Grammers have been working with IFFGD to create and broadcast television and radio public service announcements to educate the public through the media. Nancy J. Norton, President and Founder of IFFGD, hopes this will inspire a national openness about IBS to make it easier for patients to discuss the issue *10*. Its time for people with IBS to realize that theres light at the end of the tunnel. Theyre not crazy. The symptoms arent all in their head. There may not medically be a cause or a cure, but now there can be an understanding. Why some people feel the burden of stress in their gutand not, for instance, in their heartcan also be explained by the close communication between the brain and the gut. When the big brain consciously perceives a stressful situation, it calls on its fraternal twin through specialized mast cells, embedded in the gut's lining. These mast cells secrete a chemical called histamine, which activates the nerves controlling the gut, telling the muscles to contract. Hence, the cramps and bathroom trips so often associated with bouts of stress *11*.Now that theres an understanding, hopefully physicians will open their eyes to potential triggers and/or causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, such as gluten or wheat irritability, lactose i...
