Suffer with IBS? 4 reasons why stool testing will give you the answers you’ve been looking for

If you’ve ever been diagnosed with IBS by your GP,  you’ll know how frustrating it can be to not have a clear treatment plan, which is often the experience of many.

IBS stands for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and encompasses a vast number of symptoms - bloating, cramping, diarrhoea, constipation, wind, pain, indigestion, acid reflux, nausea. Just like the number of symptoms, there are a large number of reasons why anyone can suffer with any of the above complaints, and this is where conventional medicine is lacking - its solutions are rarely tailored to any of the root cause of these symptoms, and instead mask them and often perpetuate them.

Apart from following a low FODMAP diet, using antacids, or laxatives, there are often no sustainable long-term solutions that are offered by conventional medicine.

This is why stool testing can be such a valuable tool:

1. It gives us information on the balance between the good bugs and the bad bugs, parasites and fungi, some of which may be gas producing and causing common symptoms of IBS.

2. It can identify which bugs may be triggering local inflammation, and visceral sensitivity, causing pain and cramping.

3. We can also get an insight into how well you’re producing digestive fluids to help break down and absorb the nutrients in your food, as well as helping to sanitise your food and prevent infections. If you’re not producing adequate levels of bile, stomach acid, and digestive enzymes, you will be prone to acid reflux, indigestion, bloating and nausea - we can see all of this in a stool test.

4. Lastly, we can get an insight into issues such as intestinal permeability - or in layman’s terms - leaky gut. A common dysfunction that can provoke systemic symptoms of inflammation - achey joints, brain fog, depression, and allergies/sensitivities.

All of the above can be addressed by ‘tailored’ dietary changes, natural antimicrobial agents, nutritional digestive support, stress management tools, and phytotherapy.

If you’re suffering with IBS, you will 100% benefit from doing a stool test. Click on the link below to find out more about the stool test I frequently use in practice.