IBS is a chronic disorder that affects your digestive system's ability to finish doing its job. There are two types—if you have IBS-C (the most common form of the condition), you’re mostly dealing with chronic constipation; if you have IBS-D, your main issue is diarrhea. While doctors don't know exactly what causes IBS, more women than men suffer from it. "Women are at higher risk of IBS because the bowel tends to be less supported in the pelvis than [in] men," says Elana Maser, M.D., a gastroenterologist and assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "The bowels are flopped down in our wide pelvises and even more so as we age or have surgeries like c-sections or hysterectomies, which can lead to scar tissue development. This can lead to changes in bowel motility [contractions] and development of pain or air trapping.