What’s the cause of IBS?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is classified as a functional gastrointestinal disorder. What does this mean?
A functional disorder is one where normal function of a bodily process is impaired, but without any obvious physical cause. Tests will reveal no structural abnormalities, inflammation or tissue damage, and all appears normal.
Whilst ‘normal’ sounds good, the exact cause of symptoms in each individual can be difficult to determine or understand. This can, in turn, make treatment a bit more complex.
Is there a cure?
As the cause of the IBS and its relationship to symptoms is unclear, there is no recognised ‘cure’ for IBS.
This can be frustrating. A visit to your doctor may lead you to try a conventional medicine such as an anti-diarrhoeal or anti-spasmodic. This may temporarily ease your symptoms but isn’t actually addressing the cause, as we probably don’t know what that is in most cases of IBS.
Despite this, we can have a good attempt at addressing the problem as there are a number of theories why IBS comes about.
IBS is thought to be a multifactorial condition. This means that a number of factors can affect the condition and if we can understand what these are, they can be addressed and symptoms improved.
What treatment options should I be considering?
In this section we discuss a range of treatment options relevant to most people experiencing IBS. The areas that are worth looking at are:
Click on the links to learn more and consider incorporating them into your lifestyle.
