So what exactly is IBS?
I explain it to my IBS clients as being three things.
First, IBS is a syndrome.
A syndrome is simply a collection of symptoms that occur together.
In IBS, the symptoms typically affect the colon (the large bowel) and include abdominal pain, bloating and altered bowel movements - diarrhoea or constipation or a mix of both.
The mix, severity, and frequency of symptoms can vary hugely from person to person. So while two people may both carry an IBS diagnosis, their lived experience — and what they need in terms of treatment — can be completely different.
Second, IBS is a functional condition.
That means the structure of the gut is intact. Nothing abnormal shows up in tests and scans. There’s no visible damage, inflammation, or obstruction identified on routine testing. The gut just isn’t functioning as it should. We could say the issue isn’t with the hardware; it’s with the software.
Which leads us to the third — and perhaps most important — point:
IBS is now classified as a disorder of gut–brain interaction.
It’s estimated that four out of ten adults will experience a gut–brain disorder in their lifetime.
These gut–brain disorders form an entire category of gastrointestinal conditions that includes but isn't limited to:
Functional diarrhoea
Functional constipation
Functional bloating
Functional abdominal pain
Functional dyspepsia
These disorders affect different regions of the GI tract, and each has a unique mix of symptoms.
However, they all derive from the same underlying issue: a miscommunication between the gut and the brain.
miscommunication between the gut and the brain
The gut is largely controlled by the enteric nervous system. This system is a complex network of over 500 million neurons—that’s more than is in the entire spinal cord and equivalent to a domestic cat’s brain! This computing power gives the gut its own intelligence and the ability to function independent of the brain, that’s why it’s called our ‘second brain.’
The enteric nervous system and CNS are in constant dialogue via a bi-directional communication system known as the gut–brain axis. We can think of this axis as a four-lane superhighway. The four lanes are:
Lane 1: The Neural Lane. This is the equivalent of a Direct Phone Line (it’s the fastest signal). The vagus nerve is the key component. About 80–90% of vagus nerve traffic travels upward, from gut to brain.
Lane 2: Endocrine Lane. This is the equivalent of an Email System (a slower, more sustained signal). Signals travel via hormones.
Lane 3: Immune System Lane. This is the equivalent of an Emergency Hot Line. About 70% of the immune system is located in and around the gut. Immune messengers (cytokines) affect our mood, pain perception, and gut sensitivity.
Lane 4: Metabolic Lane. The gut is home to trillions of microbiomes. These gut microbes produce neurotransmitters including GABA and Serotonin (up to 90% our serotonin is made in the gut). They also produce short-chain fatty acids. Both the neurotransmitters and fatty acids influence mood, pain perception, and gut motility.
When this communication super highway becomes dysregulated, it results in physical symptoms — pain, bloating, altered bowel habits. These physical symptoms typically trigger psychological symptoms (anxiety, depression) and behavioural symptoms (mal-adaptive coping behaviours and safety behaviours).
what causes the miscommunication?
So, you might be asking “what causes the miscommunication?” The precise cause remains a mystery. It appears that it’s driven by multiple sensitising events, including chronic stress, trauma and early life adversity, infectious events such as a severe bout of gastroenteritis, food sensitivities and possibly a genetic predisposition. These factors combine to turn the gut's normal signals into a series of loud and urgent distress calls to the brain.
And so the experience of IBS is created and maintained.
As a coach and clinical hypnotherapist I help people experiencing IBS to recalibrate, reset, restore normal gut-obtain communication through my Freedom From IBS program.
𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 get in touch my email (tony@tycoaching.nz), phone +64 0210568389