Early Adverse Life Events and Risk for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Early Adverse Life Events and Risk for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
by Liz Moon, NP
A study published earlier this year in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology looked at risk and protective factors related to how early adverse life (EALs) impact irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Please feel free to read the study here:
NCBI: Association between Early Adverse Life Events and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
The findings were quite interesting. For example, one of the survey questions to participants was “Were you often ignored or made to feel that you didn’t count?” The researchers reported that if participants answered “Yes”, the odds of having IBS is 208% higher than the control population in the study. They also found that confiding in others was a protective factor to reduce symptoms. The researchers summarized their findings by stating “various types of EALs are more prevalent in IBS compared to [controls], particularly among women with IBS and are associated with a greater prevalence of psychological and somatic symptoms. Addressing EALs and associated psychological symptoms in IBS patients is important and may help guide management approaches to reduce symptoms and healthcare utilization and improve overall well-being.”
If you or someone you know has had an early adverse life event that may be contributing to gastrointestinal complaints, please contact us! We have a wonderful team here to help, specifically a Behavioral Counselor trained to treat gastrointestinal specific complaints through numerous modalities including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and gut-directed hypnotherapy. Please call us at 224-407-4400 or visit our website at https://v5u.c69.myftpupload.com/ to request an appointment today!