Many people today have the misconception that a person suffering from irritable bowel syndrome is suffering from a disease. First of all, when people say "irritable bowel disease" it seems as if they are talking about something contagious. The term "irritable bowel disease" also gives another implication: that there is a cure. A false hope of a cure can cause a lot of damage to a person suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. People suffering from irritable bowel syndrome rely on different methods to keep the different symptoms of this illness at bay. Sadly, these people would suffer for nothing. Irritable bowel is not a disease, it is a syndrome. One should not avoid people suffering from "irritable bowel disease", one should try to understand the condition of the people suffering from "irritable bowel syndrome". Read also: Gastronomie et forme (in French)