Is it IBS?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is described as “the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder” in the world, accounting for up to 12% of total visits to doctors.
Think you’re suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome? You’re not alone. Statistics put the incidence of IBS at somewhere between 10 and 15% worldwide.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is described as “the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder” in the world, accounting for “up to 12% of total visits to primary care providers”.
A functional condition is “where there is an absence of structural or biochemical abnormalities on diagnostic tests which could explain symptoms.” In other words, no one knows what causes “functional disorders”. (The medical industry is adept at shielding its ignorance in jargon.)
The symptoms are real, though, including diarrhea, constipation, abdominal cramps, gas, bloating and nausea. IBS also tends to be a chronic and relapsing condition with symptoms returning after prolonged periods of improvement, adding to the frustration of sufferers.
A hidden culprit?
Diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal cramps, gas, bloating & nausea. Could there be a hidden culprit behing Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
The debate rages as to the causes of this debilitating condition. However more than 20 years ago one Australian Gastroenterologist was pointing the finger in a different direction.
In an article in a medical journal in 2002 Dr Tom Borody claimed that “IBS should not be diagnosed until infestation with the parasite Dientamoeba fragilis has been ruled out”.
A parasite behind IBS? Interesting theory. Precious little research has followed through in the last 16 years though to determine a possible link.
Some evidence has surfaced, though. More recent studies in Germany and The Netherlands have detected D fragilis in significant numbers of sufferers of IBS, particularly in children. So there certainly is a possible connection. And the symptoms of D Fragilis parallel closely with those of IBS.
Why then isn’t more research done on the link between D fragilis and IBS? Perhaps the reason lies with the weapons in the medical arsenal. Dientamoeba fragilis is commonly treated with antibiotics which, according to the National Centre for Biotechnological Information “can affect the gut flora too, which sometimes make IBS symptoms worse”.
And so the medicine may at times exacerbate the problem. What then of options found outside of the Western Medicine?
Many herbs have been used for centuries to successfully combat protozoan intestinal parasites like Dientamoeba. Some like Barberry, Clove, Garlic, Olive Leaf and Pau D’Arco have shown promise in treating digestive ailments with a parasitic cause. And these generally can work without side-effects.
Could the right combination of natural compounds finally hold the answer to one of humankind’s most baffling and debilitating conditions?
Sources:
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Lynne S. Garcia Dientamoeba fragilis, One of the Neglected Intestinal Protozoa Journal of Clinical Microbiology Aug 2016, 54 (9) 2243-2250; DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00400-16
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Rada Rouse Is it irritable bowel? Rule our parasites first Medical Observer, Oct 11, 2002
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www.aboutibs.org/facts-about-ibs/statistics.html - accessed Nov 3, 2018
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www.cdc.gov/parasites/dientamoeba/faqs.html - accessed Nov 3, 2018
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www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs - accessed Nov 3, 2018
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www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279415/ - accessed Nov 4, 2018