The Pandemic May Have Helped Some People With IBS

• Some people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) saw improvements in their symptoms during lockdown.
• While the exact cause of IBS is unknown, stress and anxiety can trigger symptoms in some people. Other triggers include certain foods.
• Researchers from Argentina found that people with IBS had less severe symptoms during the pandemic than before the pandemic.
• However, other research found some people with IBS had worsening symptoms.

The pandemic has affected the mental health of millions of people. In the United States alone, half of U.S. adults said stress or worry about the coronavirus negatively impacted their mental health, according to a March 2021 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

But for some people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the stay-at-home orders may have offered relief from symptoms such as cramping, abdominal pain, constipation, and diarrhea, according to a new study.

While the exact cause of IBS is unknown, stress and anxiety can trigger some people’s symptoms. Other triggers include certain foods.

Researchers from Argentina found that people with IBS had less severe symptoms during the pandemic than before the pandemic. They also saw a drop in the percentage of people with IBS.

“We think the results have something to do with people staying at home. They were not exposed to outside stress, and at home they were able to avoid food triggers,” lead study author Dr. Juan Pablo Stefanolo, a gastroenterology physician at Buenos Aires University in Argentina, said in a press release.

The results were presented May 23 at Digestive Disease Week 2021. They have not yet been peer reviewed.