Irritable Bowel & Acid Reflux

Irritable bowel syndrome and acid reflux are common conditions in developed countries. According to reviews in American Family Physician, more than 60 million Americans have acid reflux symptoms at least once a month, and irritable bowel syndrome affects up to 15 percent of the U.S. population. While having even one of these problems is sufficient to diminish your quality of life, scientists at Leeds Gastroenterology Institute in Leeds, UK, have discovered that individuals with irritable bowel syndrome are four times more likely to have acid reflux, too.

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IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is not a well-defined condition. It is generally described as abdominal discomfort with altered bowel habits — constipation, diarrhea or both — that cannot be explained by any other mechanical, inflammatory or biochemical cause. All other potential causes for your symptoms must be ruled out before you can be diagnosed with IBS. Symptoms of IBS include abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, gassiness and mucus in your stool. Heartburn is not a prominent symptom of IBS, but many people with IBS also complain of heartburn.advertisement

ACID REFLUX

Like IBS, acid reflux is not always easily diagnosed. Although heartburn is the hallmark symptom of acid reflux, other signs and symptoms -- chronic cough, asthma, dental erosions, recurrent sore throat and swallowing difficulties -- can also be attributed to acid reflux. Generalized abdominal discomfort and altered bowel habits aren't typically associated with acid reflux, but you can suffer both acid reflux and IBS at the same time.

OVERLAPPING SYMPTOMS

According to a 2012 analysis in “The American Journal of Gastroenterology,” many patients with either upper or lower gastrointestinal symptoms don’t fit neatly into specific diagnostic categories. The symptoms of IBS and acid reflux can overlap with those of other conditions, and the lack of a clear demarcation between different intestinal disorders makes it difficult to diagnose and treat individual patients. Nevertheless, the authors of this analysis found that patients with IBS were far more likely to have acid reflux than people without IBS, and individuals who are diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease — a severe form of acid reflux — are more likely to develop IBS.

Since neither IBS nor acid reflux is a well-defined entity, and since the symptoms of these and other intestinal disorders frequently overlap, it is difficult to determine if they're triggered by the same underlying physiologic mechanisms or if you’re just more apt to develop both conditions because each is so common in the general population. The experts at Leeds believe this issue should be sorted out, as it could improve the treatment of both IBS and acid reflux. If you think you have IBS or acid reflux, see your health care provider.