Gut check

Think about the last three months. There are no right or wrong answers. The result is a guide for learning, not a diagnosis. It takes about 8 minutes.

What the answers mean: Rarely means less than once a week, Sometimes about once a week, Often several times a week.

The questions are grouped into sections. Tap a section to open it.

Your answers are saved only in this browser as you go. You can stop at any time and continue later.

Overview

2 questions left – open

Two questions first, so we can put your answers in context.

1How long have you had abdominal or digestive symptoms?

I have no symptoms Less than 3 months 3 to 12 months More than a year

2How much do your symptoms limit your daily life, for example at work, eating with others or going out?

Not at all A little Clearly Severely

Belly and bloating

3 questions left – open

3How often do you feel bloated after eating?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

4How often do you have strong flatulence or a lot of wind?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

5How often do you have abdominal pain or cramps?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

Bowel movements

11 questions left – open

Not a pleasant topic, but it holds a lot of information.

6How often do you usually have a bowel movement?

More than 3 times a day 1 to 3 times a day Every 1 to 2 days Fewer than 3 times a week

7What does your stool usually look like?

Based on the Bristol stool scale, which doctors also use.

Hard lumps or a firm, cracked sausage A smooth, soft sausage Soft, mushy pieces Watery or liquid

8How often do you have diarrhoea or very soft stools?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

9How often are you constipated or have to strain on the toilet?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

10How often do you suddenly and urgently need the toilet?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

11How often do you feel after a bowel movement that you have not fully emptied?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

12How often do you need to help a bowel movement along, for example by pressing on your belly or perineum or using your fingers?

This is more common than many people think and an important clue about the pelvic floor.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

13Roughly how long does it take for food to come out again?

To try it: eat beetroot or sweetcorn and watch when it shows up in your stool. Between 12 and 72 hours is normal.

Less than 12 hours 12 to 72 hours More than 3 days I don't know

14How often do you see undigested food in your stool, apart from sweetcorn, seeds or skins?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

15How often is your stool pale, greasy-looking or floating?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

16How often do you see mucus in your stool or have strongly changing stool forms?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

Stomach and upper belly

4 questions left – open

The area below the breastbone and above the navel.

17How often do you have heartburn or acid regurgitation?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

18How often do you feel uncomfortably full after a normal-sized meal, or full after just a few bites?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

19How often do you have pain or burning in the upper belly?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

20How often do you feel nauseous?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

Reactions to food

6 questions left – open

This is about patterns you may already have noticed.

21How often do you react to foods you used to tolerate well?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

22How often do your symptoms get worse after high-fibre food, onions, legumes or probiotics?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

23How often do you get bloating, abdominal pain or diarrhoea after milk, yoghurt, cream or ice cream?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

24How often do you get bloating or diarrhoea after fruit, fruit juice, honey or sugar-free sweets?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

25How often do you get a headache, flushed skin, a runny nose or palpitations after red wine, aged cheese, salami or reheated leftovers?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

26How often do you get diarrhoea or upper abdominal pain after fatty food?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

Diet and daily life

11 questions left – open

27How many different plant foods do you eat per week?

Vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs and grains each count separately.

More than 30 20 to 30 10 to 20 Fewer than 10

28How much of what you eat is ready meals, fast food, sugary drinks or packaged snacks?

This means anything made with ingredients you would not have in your kitchen, such as emulsifiers, flavourings or sweeteners.

Hardly any About a quarter About half More than half

29How often do you have sweeteners or sugar-free products, such as diet drinks, chewing gum or protein bars?

Never Now and then Several times a week Daily

30On how many days a week do you drink alcohol?

Never or rarely 1 to 2 days 3 to 5 days Almost daily

31How often do you crave sugar or white flour?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

32How much do you move on a normal day, for example walking, cycling or sport?

More than an hour 30 to 60 minutes 15 to 30 minutes Less than 15 minutes

33How often does stress go straight to your stomach?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

34How often do you sleep badly or feel irritable when your gut is acting up?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

35How often do you have skin problems, joint pain or unexplained tiredness?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often

36If you have a menstrual cycle: do your symptoms change around your period?

Does not apply No Somewhat Clearly

37Is there mould, damp walls or a musty smell in your home or workplace?

No I don't know In the past, not now Yes, currently

History and medication

5 questions left – open

Some procedures and medications make certain causes more likely.

38How often did you have infections in the past year, such as fungal infections, bladder infections or colds?

Not at all 1 to 2 times 3 to 5 times More often

39Did your gut change after taking antibiotics?

No, or no antibiotics taken Briefly, then back to normal For several weeks To this day

40After a stomach bug, a trip or food poisoning, did you have symptoms that never quite went away?

No A few days Several weeks To this day

41How often do you take acid blockers, painkillers such as ibuprofen or laxatives?

Never Occasionally Several times a week Daily

42Have you done a cleanse or protocol, for example against Candida, parasites or SIBO or to detox, and did you feel worse during it?

Never done one Yes, without feeling worse Yes, briefly worse Yes, clearly or persistently worse