Did you know irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common digestive conditions we see in clinical practice? The most common symptoms are abdominal pain, gas/bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea. Some people have IBS-C, which is constipation predominant. Some have IBS-D, which is diarrhea predominant. Some people have a mixed version that alternates between constipation and diarrhea.
The most common cause is an imbalance in the ratio of beneficial bacteria to unfriendly bacteria in the gut. This is called dysbiosis. Another common cause is a hidden food sensitivity. These are foods that cause for that person an immune reaction which can incite digestive upset. A final common cause is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). This is an over colonization of bacteria from the large intestine that has spread into the small intestine.
The key is to figure out what is causing the problem and then go after that. Taking a pill to calm the stomach or pills for constipation or diarrhea are only temporary solutions and do nothing to actually fix the root cause of the problem. We will discuss specific testing in our next newsletter. Functional medicine will help you find and treat the root cause.