Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion, rather than an actual disease.

When standard gastrointestinal tests show nothing wrong, yet digestive symptoms persist, doctors rely on symptoms to give patients a diagnosis. They tell them that they have IBS.

The classic medical definition of IBS is a functional bowel disorder with no known structural cause. A current theory is that IBS is a miscommunication between the brain and the nervous system in the gastrointestinal tract.

These disrupted signals make the intestines contract too slowly or quickly, resulting in constipation and diarrhea.

Getting an IBS diagnosis when the real problem is another hidden medical condition can throw a patient off track. They might spend time treating the wrong condition and never discover the real, underlying problem.

The following are some of the most common hidden causes of an IBS diagnosis.

Food Allergy

Food allergies are getting a lot of attention these days with the rise of Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. Intolerance to gluten and dairy are rampant and can produce similar symptoms as IBS.

While food allergy tests are not always accurate, elimination diets can work well to test reactions to dairy, gluten and other foods. Simply omit one or two foods from your diet for 3 to 4 weeks to clear it from your system. When you eat it again have it a few times ia day to test your body’s reaction.

Elimination diets remove the most common food allergens (soy, corn, nuts, gluten, dairy, fructose, eggs) and add them back in one by one to test for allergic reactions.

Food allergies can also cause seemingly unrelated symptoms like joint pain or skin issues like acne or eczema. Source.

Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal Fatigue is not recognized in the mainstream medicinal world but it is well known in alternative medicine. This condition is caused by chronic stress, a major trauma, an acute infection and is exacerbated by consuming too much sugar and caffeine.

The adrenals produce cortisol in response to stress and become exhausted by chronic stress. Symptoms of adrenal fatigue are: a run down immune system, chronic exhaustion, getting a second wind before bed and trouble sleeping.

When the adrenals break down they take the digestive system down with them, causing IBS-like symptoms. Source.

Leaky Gut

Leaky gut refers to intestinal permeability, a condition that allows large particles of undigested food to pass through the intestinal lining. Because the gut is built to protect against this, the food that gets through often causes an immune response, which can lead to a host of symptoms, including environmental and food allergies.

Some common causes of leaky gut are bacterial imbalance, infection, chronic inflammation or taking prescribed medications like antibiotics, the birth control pill and non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or heavy pain medication.

Leaky gut can be treated with a grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free diet and super foods like bone broth and gelatin. L-carnosine, L-glutamine, probiotics and colostrum are the recommended supplements for leaky gut. But check with your doctor before taking any new supplements. Source.

Hashimotos Thyroiditis

The thyroid regulates metabolism and if it’s not functioning well, digestive issues and constipation can result. Hashimotos is the most common cause of hypothyroidism and occurs when the immune system begins to attack the thyroid.

The cause of the disease is unknown, but symptoms can be managed effectively with a high protein, no grain, low-sugar diet that includes probiotic foods. Source.

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

SIBO is often misdiagnosed as IBS. Most intestinal bacteria are found in the large intestine. SIBO occurs when bacteria is pushed into the small intestine and begins to overgrow. IBS-type symptoms and food allergies to fructose, lactose and other high FODMAP foods can occur as a result.

SIBO is most commonly treated with a low-FODMAP diet, probiotics and antibacterial food, supplements, herbs or drugs. Source.

Other causes

There are other conditions that can masquerade as IBS.

For example, a toxic liver with low bile production, B12 deficiency, estrogen dominance (symptoms get worse before your period) or serotonin depletion can be easily mistaken for IBS.

If you want to get to the bottom of your symptoms, most alternative or functional doctors can test for these problems along with the adrenals, thyroid, food allergies, leaky gut or SIBO.

And IBS diagnosis does not mean you should stop searching for the root cause of digestive distress.

And most importantly don’t let anyone tell you it’s incurable.

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