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Irritable bowel syndrome

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Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a functional gastrointestinal disorder affecting around 11% of people globally and in Australia up to 16% of the population. The condition affects 67% more women than men, and it is common for it to run in families.


Symptoms of IBS include:

· Bloating

· Wind

· Pain and or discomfort

· Constipation, diarrhoea or a mixture of both.


These symptoms tend to fluctuate between days, weeks or years and can commonly link in with other conditions, including:

· Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)

· Dysbiosis

· Fibromyalgia

· Chronic fatigue syndrome

· Chronic headache

· Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ)

· Chronic back or pelvic pain.


IBS is a condition that affects someone’s quality of life. There is no allopathic treatment for IBS; however, a Naturopath can use quite a few investigations and treatments.


Common Naturopathic investigations include:

· Microbiome mapping

· SIBO breath testing

· Diet diaries with symptom mapping

· Food intolerance testing

· Fructose or lactose breath testing

· PCR testing for parasites

· And other stool tests like Complete Digestive Stool Analysis (CDSA).


Naturopathic treatment is very effective for IBS. The length of treatment time varies depending on what the underlying cause is. Treatment for IBS can include a range of modalities, including dietary changes, herbal medicines, nutritional supplements, vitamins and minerals.


Citation: Canavan C, West J, Card T. The epidemiology of irritable bowel syndrome. Clin Epidemiol. 2014 Feb 4;6:71-80. doi: 10.2147/CLEP.S40245

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