Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Irritable bowel syndrome and comorbidities: Recognizing connections and providing targeted treatment

The quality of life of people with irritable bowel syndrome is often severely impaired, not only by the variety of symptoms , but also by the frequent occurrence of accompanying diseases. In such cases, improving the general well-being of patients is essential.

Functional gastrointestinal comorbidities

Gastrointestinal disorders include a variety of functional disorders (without organic causes) of the digestive tract. The most common include:

Functional dyspepsia: A chronic or recurrent digestive disorder characterized by upper abdominal symptoms such as bloating, pain, or nausea, without any organic cause being found.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Functional constipation

Extraintestinal comorbidities

In addition to gastrointestinal comorbidities, people with irritable bowel syndrome often experience extraintestinal comorbidities, including:

Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
Chronic pelvic pain

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and mental health conditions

Irritable bowel syndrome also frequently occurs in conjunction with mental disorders that manifest themselves in physical symptoms. Therefore, the psychological component should always be taken into account in the the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome patients and treated therapeutically if necessary.

In Individuals with IBS, increased chronic stress and a high comorbidity with affective disorders—especially with symptoms of anxiety and depression—are well documented. There is evidence of a close link, particularly in children. These psychological stresses can exacerbate gastrointestinal symptoms.

In the biopsychosocial disease model, chronic stress and psychiatric comorbidities are considered central risk factors for the development and maintenance of irritable bowel syndrome.

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