Women Are More Prone Than Men to Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome can be very uncomfortable - and it's twice as common in women as men.

IBS affects the stomach and intestines and can cause cramping, abdominal bloating, gas and diarrhea.

While the exact reason why women are more prone to IBS than men remains unclear, hormonal factors are believed to be influential, according to Ernestine A. Wright, M.D., FACP, board-certified primary care doctor with Mercy Personal Physicians Downtown in Baltimore. Dr. Wright explained that estrogen and progesterone tend to cause the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract to relax, so that slows down bowel movements, which can cause more problems with abdominal distension and constipation.

"Typically, you don't really see anything on a colonoscopy, and you really wouldn't see anything if you had an endoscopy or any diagnostic testing," Dr. Wright said. "It's important that patients talk to their physicians about their symptoms and that physicians themselves are aware of the fact that IBS is real, and it's treatable, and patients can live a very healthy life if it's recognized and [if] they are guided on what dietary changes to make and lifestyle changes."

To address IBS, Dr. Wright advises patients to begin with dietary changes, such as avoiding gas-inducing foods, increasing fiber intake and staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

View Mercy primary care physician Dr. Ernestine Wright’s interview regarding women and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).