In a press release shared at UEG week Virtual 2020, researchers shared a new study conducted over nearly two decades which found that people who’d had asthma or an allergy at age 12 were at a significantly higher risk of having irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) at age 16. They confirmed prior suspicions about a link between these disorders.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritiable bowel syndrome is a chronic condition of the large intestine. The disorder causes an affected person to experience cramping, gas, bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or constipation. While severe cases may be treated with medication and therapies, less intense versions may be treated with a healthy diet and lifestyle. The symptoms may be triggered by stress or particular foods that the person may have an allergy to or intolerance of. IBS is chronic, and should be cared for chronically too.
The Link Between IBS and Childhood Asthma and Allergies
In Sweden at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, and the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, researchers followed patients with IBS as they grew up, staying with them from birth till age 16. To participate in the study, the 2,770 children and their patients responded to questionnaires while the child was ages 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 years.
The researchers found a clear correlation between older patients with IBS and having exhibited allergies and asthma years prior. Their questionnaires measured this relationship.
The doctors found that by the time patients with IBS reached 16, they were almost twice as likely to also have reported asthma at age 12 compared to the general population (11.2% generally versus 6.7% of IBS patients.) They also found that amongst the 16-year-olds with IBS, 40.7% had an allergy at age 12 compared to 29.2% of the control group. They also noted an association with eczema, a skin condition.
At the UEG Week Virtual 2020, head author of the study Dr. Jessica Sjölund confirmed the team’s satisfaction at their results verifying theories in the field. She said,
“We knew that allergy and immune dysregulation had been suggested to play a role in the development of irritable bowel syndrome, but previous studies on allergy-related diseases and irritable bowel syndrome are contradictory.”
Now, Dr. Sjölund believes their new results confirm that patients with IBS should also have allergies and food sensitivities checked and they should use anti-inflammatory treatment options. As always, the team hopes their results can lead to better treatment of the disease.
