What causes IBS?
I don't know if you've seen the memes and videos, but “hot girls have IBS”.
If you're dealing with unpredictable urgency, uncomfortable bloating, painful constipation, or the constant threat of heartburn... congratulations? I guess you're a hot girl!
When I first saw this years ago, it made me laugh because I work with some really badass women, who are also struggling with gut issues.
But underneath the joke is something that's actually frustrating.
An IBS Diagnosis Doesn’t Tell Us How to Fix It
"Irritable Bowel Syndrome" is the label we tend to give digestive symptoms when we don't have a better explanation.
And that's the part that bothers me, just because we haven't identified the cause doesn't mean there isn't one.
I can't tell you how many women have said some version of this to me:
"My doctor says it's IBS..."
"...but why did it start?"
"...why does it get worse when I'm stressed?"
"...why can I eat something one day and be completely fine, then react to it the next?"
Those are good questions!
In my mind, "IBS" isn't the end of the conversation. It's really where we start asking better questions.
Where to start looking with IBS
When I dig deeper with clients, we usually start finding pieces that make the puzzle fit together:
Poor stomach acid and digestive enzyme production lead to food sitting for longer in the stomach
Low stomach acid leads to less acidity to trigger bile flow, and fatty foods will lead to IBS flares
Exposure to antibiotics, pesticides, or years of medication like birth control can kill of the the food microbes in our gut and lead to an inflammatory gut microbiome
In the absence of enough beneficial bacteria, certain types of yeast, or pathogenic bacteria can take hold and cause bloating, urgency or constipation
When pathogens are high, and good bacteria are low the gut barrier breaks down, and we become more reactive to the foods we eat every day like dairy, bread, corn, and soy.
Whatever the answer is, I've never met someone whose digestive tract woke up one morning and randomly decided to become "irritable." Our bodies have reasons for doing what they do.
Sometimes we just haven't looked in the right places yet.
If you've been told you have IBS, but you still feel like you're missing the explanation for why your digestive system has become so reactive, that's exactly the kind of detective work I love.
Apply to work 1:1 in my practice and we’ll get to work investigating where your IBS symptoms are coming from and resolve your gut issues using a root-cause approach.