Common Causes of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

Common Causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has become increasing common and plagues many without resolution even though many of these cases are relatively easy to control or cure using diet and supplements. Over the last 6 years I had the privilege of helping many patients break free of their IBS and all of these cases had one thing in common uncovering the causing factor greatly reduced the symptoms and in most all cases resolved the condition.

Common symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are Feeling bloated, indigestion, frequent gas, constipation (less than one bowel movement a day), Diarrhea (greater than three bowel movements a day), loose stool, brain fog (difficulty concentrating esp. after eating), & stomach pain. Though these symptoms are common they are not the only symptoms.

By far the most common cause I have found in practice is food sensitivity. Food sensitivity is inherently one of the most difficult causes to properly identify. This is also the reason most of these cases go un-diagnosed. Do to the fact there are so many different foods in one's diet and because we eat these foods grouped together with a number of other foods singling out the culprit food can be difficult. Also because IBS symptoms do not always happen immediately it is very difficult to associate the symptom with the irritant food. Food sensitivity blood work can also be a useful tool in identifying multiple food sensitivities.

Solutions to food sensitive IBS:

Avoidance- by far the most effective treatment for this type of food sensitivity is avoiding consumption of the culprit food. This is also more effective if avoidance is accompanied by an anti-inflammatory diet to promote repair of the G-I tract. This also requires identification of the culprit food, which is best done with a cleanse followed by an elimination diet.

Cleanse- I use an elimination diet and cleanse for my patients to detoxify their G-I tract, and identify their food sensitivity (this should be done under the supervision of your doctor & depending on your personal health can and should be modified accordingly)

Supplements- There is a host of nutritional supplements that will aid in digestion of culprit foods, block absorption and relieve symptoms. Check with your healthcare provider for recommendations.

Gallbladder dysfunction induced IBS is surprisingly frequent and the presents of gall stones or even a gallbladder is not necessary. Poor gallbladder function results in dysbiosis because bile plays a role in suppressing bacterial over growth. Also Bile (the product of the liver stored in the gallbladder) is essential for absorbing and digesting fats. If the gallbladder is not functioning well or is no longer present bile is not present to digest fat and suppress bacteria, this will on occasion trigger episodes of IBS.

Solutions to Gallbladder dysfunction IBS:

Supplements- Taking digestive enzymes with ox bile is highly effective in resolving these symptoms though management of Gallbladder dysfunction should be managed by your doctor.

Diet- avoiding fatty meals, greasy food and fried foods is helpful.
Staying well hydrated is another helpful dietary change. Coffee increases biliary action and can agitate this type of dysfunction and finally avoiding all fat is not recommended as healthy fats are important to staying well.

Infectious IBS may require antibiotic therapy under the supervision of a physician or qualified healthcare professional to treat. The difficulty with this type of case is that most laboratory tests only test for the most common infections and many types of parasites and bacteria exist. Doing a comprehensive stool sample may be necessary to ID the irritant bug and though there are many supplements that help with these types of infections some of these infections are only responsive to anti-biotic therapy.

Solutions to infectious IBS:

Appropriate medical intervention- in many cases the best resolution can be prescription drug therapy performed by a qualified healthcare physician.

Pro-Biotics- taking a quality probiotic can help healthy bacteria out compete with the invasive species

Supplements- Supplements that are bacteria or parasitic repelling.

Anti-parasitic diet- Eating a low carbohydrate diet can make it very difficult for an invasive species to compete and survive in your body and will typically improve symptoms of this type of IBS.

Hopefully this article will be a useful educational tool to help difficult to diagnose IBS causes and help patients improve their quality of life.