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Allergies linked to IBS [Posted: Sat 02/02/2008]
Researchers have found a potential link between certain allergies and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
IBS is a disorder of the large bowel (colon) and is characterised by abdominal pain, bloating and irregular bowel habits, including alternating diarrhoea and constipation. It affects as many as one in five people and is most common among those in their 20s and 30s.
A team of US researchers found that adults with allergy symptoms reported a high incidence of IBS, suggesting a link between the two.
They looked at 125 adults and found that the likelihood of IBS was significantly higher in those with certain allergies. In fact, those with seasonal allergic rhinitis were 2.67 times more likely to have IBS, while those with atopic eczema were 3.85 times more likely to have the condition.
People with depression meanwhile were 2.56 times more likely to have IBS.
While previous research has suggested that allergen exposure increases the risk of IBS, the frequency of this had never been studied.
“The reported presence of allergic dermatitis was highly correlated to the presence of IBS in our population. In early childhood, allergic eczema is frequently associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction and food allergy. A clinical history of allergic eczema may be a useful marker for patients with gut hypersensitivity and IBS”, the researchers said.
The study suggested that people with IBS who have these allergic symptoms should be considered separately from other patients with IBS ‘because they may have distinct pathophysiologic features and may benefit from specific therapeutic interventions’.
Details of these findings are published in the journal, Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
For more information on IBS, eczema and allergic rhinitis, see our range of Health Clinics at…
http://www.irishhealth.com/clin/index.html |
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