Irritable Bowel Syndrome causes genuine physical misery to 20% of the UK population yet it is not officially classed as a disease.
And the bad news for women is that you're more likely to be diagnosed with it if you're female.
As a new trial of hypnotherapy treatment starts in Manchester, Woman's Hour looks at whether IBS is actually more common in women, and whether doctors are focusing on the psychological causes of the disease as the expense of the biological factors.
Dr Julian Stern from St Marks Hospital in London and Christine Wilson, a psychotherapist involved in invisible chronic research join Jenni to discuss. For more information call the 91Èȱ¬ Actionline on 0800 044 044.
