Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
A chronic functional digestive disorder characterised by abdominal pain, bloating and bowel habit changes (diarrhoea, constipation), with no detectable organic lesion.
IBS (also called functional bowel disorder) affects 5 to 10% of the population, more often women. “Functional” means there is no visible lesion: the gut is structurally normal but works badly. It is a diagnosis of exclusion (coeliac disease, IBD and so on are ruled out first).
An original angle (the gut-brain axis): IBS is now understood as a disorder of the gut-brain axis. The gut has its own nervous system (the “second brain”, about 500 million neurons) that constantly communicates with the brain. In IBS, this communication is dysregulated: visceral hypersensitivity (the gut “feels” too much), disturbed motility, and often a link with stress, anxiety and trauma.
This explains why IBS is a circle: stress worsens digestive symptoms, which generate anxiety, which worsens stress. And why purely dietary approaches often fail on their own.
Multi-level management:
- Low-FODMAP diet (effective in 75 to 80%) but temporary and supervised
- Stress management: hypnotherapy (validated!), cognitive behavioural therapy, meditation
- Targeted probiotics (certain strains)
- Sometimes symptom-relief treatments
IBS is NOT “all in the head” (the symptoms are real and physical), but the brain plays a central role through the gut-brain axis. Recognising this duality is key to effective management.