What is IBS? What are the different Types of IBS?
Intro
April is IBS awareness month! Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) occurs in 10-15% of people in North America and 11% of people worldwide, and is a common gut health condition that people come to see me for in-office. IBS manifests as abdominal discomfort and changes to bowel habits, and is diagnosed via the Rome IV Criteria. Before IBS can be diagnosed, other conditions need to be ruled out first that can look like IBS!
If you don’t know who I am, I am Dr. Bryant Esquejo, ND. I am a California-licensed Naturopathic Doctor, and I focus on holistic and integrative treatment for people with gut issues, skin issues, and hormone issues (yes, all three can be linked to each other).
For IBS awareness month, we are going to talk about the following in this article:
Conditions that look like IBS
What the Rome Criteria is for the diagnosis of IBS
The different types of IBS
this post does not constitute as medical advise; is not meant to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure conditions or disease; and is meant for education only. Always speak to your doctor before starting anything new.
Conditions that look like IBS
Some conditions that can look like IBS and need to be ruled out are:
Celiac disease
Colorectal cancer
Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis
Drug use
Gastrointestinal infections
Hyperthyroidism/Hypothyroidism
Inflammatory bowel disease - Crohn Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Lactose intolerance
When someone comes to me with concerns they might have IBS, I really want to listen to them in their initial intake to make sure they don’t have the conditions listed above.
And, after speaking to them, I do want to get labs and other work-up completed to confirm if they do or don’t have any of the conditions listed above (as some of the conditions above can appear mild and look a lot like IBS).
How IBS is Diagnosed: Rome IV Criteria
And once these conditions are ruled out, IBS is diagnosed when someone experiences the following, as per the Rome IV criteria for IBS:
Recurrent abdominal pain on average at least 1 day/week in the last 3 months, associated with two or more of the following criteria*:
Related to defecation
Associated with a change in frequency of stool
Associated with a change in form (appearance) of stool
*Criteria fulfilled for the last 3 months with symptom onset at least 6 months prior to diagnosis
Types of IBS
Given the diagnostic criteria, there can be 3 different types of IBS, depending on the dominant bowel movement symptoms that a person experiences. Those 3 types of IBS are:
IBS-D (Diarrhea): The most prevalent type, with a meta-analysis revealing that this happens in 40% of IBS cases
IBS-C (Constipation): The second-most prevalent type, occurring in 35% of those with IBS
IBS-M (Mixed diarrhea-constipation): The least-common type, happening in 23% of those with IBS
Holistically addressing IBS with naturopathic medicine
Holistic medicine entails understanding what is going on with someone’s symptoms and understanding the causes & triggers of those symptoms. Diving into the causes & triggers means diving into multiple organ systems AND someone’s environmental exposures. This ultimately gives holistic medicine experts a better-picture of someone’s WHOLE being and how their whole being is playing a role in their symptoms.
Licensed Naturopathic Doctors, like myself, preferentially want to address the root cause of someone’s symptoms for holistic treatment since it provides more-sustainable and more-meaningful solutions for our patients. And, science tells us there could be some causes & triggers of IBS!
In regards to possible causes and triggers of IBS, science tells us the following may play roles in the development of IBS symptoms:
Food hypersensitivity (aka food intolerance)
And more!
NATUROPATHIC Visits with me
In my holistic and integrative medical practice, I initially spend 90 minutes with patients to get a deep understanding of their health and wellness, and follow-ups are 45 minutes. During their initial visit, patients will have an in-depth medical intake where I will want to know:
What they are experiencing
How severe their symptoms are
What could be causing and triggering their symptoms
What they they’ve done in the past and are doing now for their symptoms
How their environment & relationships could be affecting their overall health and wellness
What their personal barriers to optimal health and wellness are
And, depending on what we speak about, I will want to conduct any pertinent physical exams to get an EVEN-DEEPER understanding of their health and wellness.
This ample amount of time also ensures that my patients have their questions answered, help them understand what their integrative treatment options and alternatives are, and more! I also strive to educate patients about what is taking place in their body so that they can understand how different types of treatments and testing can support their health and wellness to help them achieve their goals. And from my clinical experience, I have been able to successfully help many individuals with gut issues and IBS with holistic & integrative medical options.
Summary & Takeaways
IBS stands for irritable bowel syndrome, and it is a common reason why people choose to see me for naturopathic medical treatment. In this article you learned that before IBS is diagnosed, conditions that look like IBS need to be ruled out first. And, once those conditions are ruled out, the Rome IV Criteria for IBS is used to diagnose IBS and determine the type of IBS someone has.
You also learned that licensed Naturopathic Doctors, like myself, preferentially want to address the causes & triggers of someone’s symptoms for more-meaningful and more-sustainable treatment. And, this goes the same with IBS.
When you see a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, you will get AMPLE amounts of time with them so that they can fully understand your health & wellness to best treat you with holistic and integrative options.
Want to learn about gut health from a holistic & integrative POV? Read my articles on:
To stay up-to-date about future blog posts, click here sure to sign up for my email newsletter. And, if you want to set up an appointment with me, click here.
If you found this blog post helpful, make sure to share it with your wellness community!